Congress does not need AAP as ally in Punjab: Amarinder Singh

The CM said that AAP had lost the support of the people in Punjab completely,and said he had not at any stage mentioned that he was open to an alliance between the Congress and AAP in Punjab.

By: Express News Service | Chandigarh | Updated: July 25, 2018 12:23:55 am
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. As far as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) is concerned, it will share its views with the party high command as and when the latter seeks the same.

Amid reports that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders were preparing to take a call on alliance with Congress, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday made it clear that the Congress did not need any alliances to fight the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Stating that the Congress would win Lok Sabha elections hands down on its own, Amarinder in a statement said public sentiment favoured them, adding that the party had recently won Gursdaspur Lok Sabha and Shahkot Vidhan Sabha bypolls.

The CM said that AAP had lost the support of the people in Punjab completely,and said he had not at any stage mentioned that he was open to an alliance between the Congress and AAP in Punjab. The fact was that given the Congress sweep in the state in all recent elections, beginning with last year’s Assembly polls, the party did not really need any political coalition for next year’s parliamentary polls, he said.

The Chief Minister, however, reiterated that the final decision on pre-poll alliances rested with the Congress high command, and its decision would be accepted and followed by all the state units, be it in Punjab or elsewhere.
“Alliances are the prerogative of the national party, and they will take a decision at a suitable time. Several factors, including winnability, are usually taken into account by the party before going in for an alliance,” he said in the statement.

As far as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) is concerned, it will share its views with the party high command as and when the latter seeks the same. He said the national leadership of the party will take into account the ground situation in every state and the opinion of the state unit before taking a final decision on any alliance. The PPCC would also be internally discussing the issue as and when required to build a consensus on the matter, he added.