AMRITSAR, March 12: The newly appointed Congress in charge for Punjab and the Congress Working Committee member Thakur Gulchain Singh Charak today said, the party will go it alone in Punjab and it was in a comfortable position to win the elections of its own. Mr Charak, who started his Punjab programme, after paying obeisance at Golden Temple, Durgiana Temple and Jallianwala Bagh also met the party workers at local Circuit House. He also mourned the death of hundreds of people in an earthquake in Japan.Talking to reporters, the CWC member maintained that the Congress did not need to align with any other party in Punjab as it was going very strong. When asked as whether there was any possibility of an alliance with some party, he said, “no alliance with anyone”.
To another question as what will be the criterion for the ticket distribution in the coming elections, Mr Charak said, the party will go by the guidelines in its constitution. However, he added, the party workers of the particular constituency will be taken into confidence at the time of allotment of the party ticket.
The Punjab in charge categorically stated that the party was absolutely united in Punjab. To a question about factionalism, he said, “Congress observes inner policy democracy and everybody is entitled to his opinion and there was nothing wrong in it”. However, he added, to describe it as factionalism was absolutely wrong. He pointed out, the overwhelming reception he was accorded in the holy city today was the reflection of the workers enthusiasm about the party and they were quite confident that Congress was coming back to power in the state.
The Congress leader said, the part was seized of all the matters and issues prevailing in Punjab and he will soon be meeting the Party President Ms Sonia Gandhi. He said, he will now visit Punjab and meet the leaders and workers all over so that he is in a proper position to understand the situation. But, he asserted, he was confident from his first impression that the Congress was certain to form the government in Punjab after the elections.
Mr Charak who drove from Jammu was accorded warm reception across the route to Amritsar. He was stopped at 15 places on the way where he was offered flowers, bouquets and garlands. At Circuit House hundreds of people greeted him. They included sitting and former MLAs, the rural and urban district party presidents, councillors and other party leaders.
Prominent among those who met him included DCC (urban) president Jagjit Singh Sehdev, rural president Lali Majithia, Sukh Sarkaria, Ashwani Sekhri, Harpratap Ajnala, Fateh Jang Bajwa, Raman Balla and others.