Warring-Gurjeet showdown in Sultanpur Lodhi likely today

Sultanpur Lodhi is likely to witness a political showdown between Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and legislator father-son duo Rana Gurjeet Singh and Rana Inder Pratap on Saturday.

While Warring will hold “Parivartan Rally”, Sultanpur Lodhi legislator Rana Inder Pratap will address “Navin Soch, Nawan Punjab Rally”, just 2 km from there.

Sources close to the father-son duo said Kapurthala Congress legislator Rana Gurjeet won’t be attending any of the rallies.

However, he will be playing an active role to mobilise support for his son’s rally from the hind, a source said.

Rana Gurjeet Singh has been at loggerheads with Warring and had held a rally on March 11 in Muktsar, the state Congress chief’s home district.

The rally by Warring at Sultanpur Lodhi — the constituency of Rana Inder Pratap —is being seen as a new episode in his rivalry with Rana Gurjeet, who holds considerable influence in the area.

Earlier, Warring had sought to downplay the rally terming the event a part of the party’s “Judega Block, Jitegi Congress” campaign.

Rana Gurjeet, however, had alleged that it is being done “out of competition”.

Though the father-son duo did not respond to phone calls for comments, their pictures were seen together on posters on social media.

Former Congress MLA Navtej Cheema, who was defeated by Rana Inder Pratap from Sultanpur Lodhi in the 2022 Assembly poll, said Congress leader Ravinder Dalvi and the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Bajwa, will attend their event.

Lok Sabha MPs Sukhjinder Randhawa, Amar Singh and Sher Singh Ghubaya too will be present there, the former MLA said.