Capt, Bajwa share stage at Rahul’s Khanna rally

Ahead of May 19 sweepstakes, Congress president Rahul Gandhi presented a perfect picture of united Congress by bringing Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa on stage at a rally at Khanna. Sulking after his claim to his former Lok Sabha seat, Gurdaspur, was being ignored by the party, Bajwa has yet to join the campaign of Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar. A smiling Bajwa was seen holding Rahul’s hand while chief minister Amarinder Singh looked away.

The CM had ousted Bajwa from captaincy ahead of the 2017 state polls after a relentless campaign.

Later, Rahul had pacified him with a Rajya Sabha berth, which he had offered to give up for former PM Manmohan Singh, whose term is expiring this year, to bag the Gurdaspur ticket. But the party chose Jakhar, who won the seat in a bypoll after actor Vinod Khanna’s death in 2017.

GURPREET SINGH/HT HAND IN HAND Congress president Rahul Gandhi with senior party leader Partap Singh Bajwa at a rally in Khanna on Monday. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh is also seen.