‘Resilient’ Captain lives up to his name
PATIALA: Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha and erstwhile Patiala royal family’s scion has a reputation of being able to back bounce. And he has proved just that with Congress’ victory in the Patiala bypoll.
After being almost written off after Partap Singh Bajwa took over the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee’s (PPCC) reins, his back- to- back victories— from Amritsar during the Lok Sabha polls and Preneet Kaur’s ( his wife) win in the Patiala Urban bypoll — have proved that is a strong leader in the Punjab Congress.
It is the second time in Punjab over the past 15 years that a ruling party has been defeated in a bypoll. And the credit for both wins goes to Amarinder. Earlier he won Adampur for the Congress in the 1999 bypoll and he has repeated it in Patiala.
In 2007, when he lost the state elections, he had virtually been written off and his bête noir Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was appointed as the president of the PPCC and the Congress Legislative Party. But, with the 2009 parliamentary elections, the party made him the chairman of the Campaign Committee and a lyear later he was reinstated as the PPCC president.
However, things were different when he lost the 2012 Punjab elections as, unlike in 2007, his team of aides remained with him. He remained the PPCC president for over a year before being replaced by Partap Bajwa after two bypoll defeats.
Again, it seemed like Amarinder’s political epitaph had been written. But, he was fielded from Amritsar in the 2014 general elections. Though initially reluctant, he jumped into the fray and defeated BJP stalwart Arun Jaitely by a whopping margin of over one lakh votes at a time when the Modiwave was gripping the country.
It was believed among the Congress circles that his candidature was a trap set by his rivals including Bajwa who believed that he would either decline to contest or be defeated by Jaitley. But, he won while Bajwa lost from Gurdaspur.
He stayed put in Patiala and campaigned for his wife who had lost from the assembly constituency of Patiala only three months ago.
His presence paid off as Preneet won by over 23,000 votes.However, PPCC president Partap Bajwa and People’s Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Badal and former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Sukhpal Khaira had all camped at Talwandi Sabo where the Congress lost by a difference of 45,000 votes to the ruling SAD-BJP.
And thus, Amarinder assent to be back at the helm of affairs at the PPCC appears to have started. MLA Tripat Rajinder Bajwa, said, “It is high time the party high command reconsidered the leadership. This victory has proved that Amarinder is an indisputable leader of Punjab Congress.”