Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Wednesday queered the political pitch in Punjab by saying that former Indian hockey team captain Pargat Singh was welcome to join the party.
Pargat Singh, an MLA from Jalandhar East, was suspended by the Akali Dal on Tuesday for indiscipline and has said he would join AAP.
“Pargat Singh is welcome into the Congress fold. I have already said Navjot Singh Sidhu is also welcome to join us if he wants. Pargat Singh is not just a phenomenal sportsperson, he was my Director Sports in Punjab when I was the chief minister. We have worked together,” he said a day after he said Mr. Sidhu was welcome to join the Congress.
Capt Singh is now wooing both Mr. Sidhu and Pargat Singh though he said that the Congress had not engaged the two formally.
“We have not opened formal communication channels with either Sidhu or Pargat Singh. But I am sure Sidhu and Pargat’s friends in the Congress are speaking to them. Mr. Sidhu is from Patiala and Pargat from Jalandhar.
“We cannot engage with them till we know their status. Sidhu has only resigned from RS and not from the BJP yet. Pargat Singh has been suspended by the Akali Dal. They have to first make their status clear,” he said after attending a meeting on Punjab poll strategy at the residence of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.
The strategy meet was attended by Capt. Singh, Punjab in charge of Congress Asha Kumari, Ambika Soni, Congress campaign committee chairperson for the State, CLP leader Charanjit Channi and Congress Party’s election strategist for Punjab Prashant Kishor.
The meeting examined the progress of Congress’ ongoing campaigns in Punjab, such as ‘Coffee with Capt’, ‘Halke wich Capt’ and others, and decided to hold another meeting in Chandigarh on July 23 to design future canvassing programme and chalk out a blueprint of its poll campaign.-PTI
“I have already said Navjot Singh Sidhu
is also welcome
to join us if
he wants”
