AMARINDER TO FLOAT OUTFIT

Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is soon going to float a new party. It is likely to be called 'Punjab Vikas Party' and will include all anti-Sidhu faction leaders. Earlier, the Captain had said that his first goal is to defeat former Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu. In such a situation, a strong contender will be fielded in the upcoming Assembly elections. Singh also plans to contact all the farmers' leaders of Punjab. He will also get in touch with small parties, sources said. In 1980 Amarinder had won the Lok Sabha elections on the Congress symbol, but after Operation Blue Star in 1984, he left the party to join the Akali Dal. He re-joined the Congress in 1998.

HOODA VOICES CONCERN:

The rumblings within the Congress continue: its veteran leader and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has voiced concern over the party’s travails in Punjab and said the situation there could have been handled better. He also stated that a full-time president was needed in the Congress.

REPEAL FARM LAWS, PUNJAB CM TELLS PM:

The recently elected Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him to repeal the Centre’s farm laws. Calling his meeting with Modi a very ‘positive one’, Channi said he made three demands before the Prime Minister. The first was to start the procurement of paddy earlier than scheduled (October 10) in the state. Second was to repeal the farm laws, and also to bring an end to the farmers’ issue in the state, by talking to the protesting farmers.