Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, October 5
Loyalists of ex-Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh in Jalandhar have certainly started feeling isolated and insecure since the reins moved away from his hand. While ex-MLA Jagbir Brar was the first to realise this and quickly joined hands with the Akali Dal, who even announced him the candidate from Jalandhar Cantonment, it was ex-Jalandhar DCC (rural) chief and ex-Milkfed Chairman Capt Harminder Singh who quit the Congress today and went the SAD way.
Capt Harminder (69), whose son Karanvir served as the OSD to Capt Amarinder Singh till his tenure as CM, was also today announced as the Akali candidate from Sultanpur Lodhi. His closeness with Capt Amarinder Singh was known in the Congress circuit as he also used to visit his place at Urban Estate here.
Spelling out the reason for quitting Congress, he said: “We saw the way the Congress humiliated Capt Amarinder and forced him to resign. A leader of his stature did not deserve such kind of maltreatment. Ever since he left, we too had the feeling that if this could happen to a tall leader like him, no one will take care of us. The party is in utter turmoil at the moment and the leaders and workers are in complete confusion over its fate. Hence getting the offer to contest from Sultanpur Lodhi, I and my son left the Congress today to join Akali Dal.”
Capt Harminder says that he was settled in Jalandhar because of his businesses, which his son Karanvir runs now, but his roots are from Naseerpur village of Sultanpur Lodhi. “I have always maintained my connection with the people there which will be of help now,” he said.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi Navtej Cheema has started terming him an outsider. “Like his Aam Aadmi Party counterpart Sajjan Singh Cheema, even Capt Harminder is from Jalandhar. I will be the only local candidate who is available to people 24×7 and it certainly matters,” he said.
Meanwhile, the change of leadership in the Congress continues to have an impact even in terms of appointments. While the party had changed two Improvement Trust Chairmen at Amritsar and Batala, who did not go along with PPCC chief Navjot Sidhu, another head rolled on Tuesday.
Today was the turn of Rana Randhawa, who was the Chairman of Kartarpur Improvement Trust. He has been unceremoniously replaced by Vijay Bhushan Aggarwal, that too just three months ahead of the likely announcement of next elections.
As a Congress leader, Randhawa had been eyeing Jalandhar Cantonment seat represented by MLA Pargat Singh. He too was termed as a staunch Capt Amarinder Singh loyalist and had even got hoardings put in Cantt in his favour at the time when Pargat was waging a war for his ouster from the CM’s post. Interestingly, Aggarwal was a close aide of Randhawa during his stint as the Trust Chairman.
Randhawa’s supporters alleged that Pargat alongwith Kartarpur MLA Surinder Chaudhary paved the way for his ouster.
Paying the price for being ex-CM loyalist
The Trust had a balance amount of Rs70 lakh when I had joined. I worked hard and raised its kitty to Rs6 crore. This should not have been the way to treat someone who was pushy. I was also in good terms with CM Charanjit Singh Channi, but I it seems that he is not getting his say in the party. I really wish that he does not remain a dummy CM, the chances of which are quite likely. — Rana Randhawa, ousted Chairman of Kartarpur Improvement Trust
Former Akali minister Upinderjit not happy
- The handing over of party ticket to Capt Harminder has not gone down well with ex-Akali minister Upinderjit Kaur, who had been seeking ticket for her niece’s husband Swaran Singh, a retired XEN from PSPCL
- She had reportedly met Parkash Singh Badal two days back in the same context. She is even said to have clearly mentioned that she will not support a parachute candidate (hinting towards Capt Harminder) as she would only stand with a local candidate
- There were at least six other local leaders in the fray other than Swaran Singh, who had all reportedly come together with Upinderjit Kaur on the issue
Shifting loyalties: Feeling isolated, those close to Capt quitting Cong
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