Congress MLA Vijay Inder Singla meeting with PPCC president Amarinder singh at Moti Bagh Palace in Patiala on Sunday. PTI
Chandigarh/Patiala, March 12
Congress Chief Minister-designate Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday met Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore to stake claim to form the government a day after his party recorded a resounding victory with 77 of 117 seats in the state Assembly.
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- Just met with the #Punjab Governor to formally stake claim for govt formation, will take oath as Chief Minister at 10 am on Thursday.
2. Immensely grateful to Sonia Gandhi ji and Rahul Gandhi ji for reposing faith in me, with their guidance will work hard for a better
Amarinder will take oath of office as the new Chief Minister on March 16.He, however, refused to say who his ministers would be, nor how many he would have in his Cabinet.Amarinder also asserted that his government will form a ‘special task force’ to curb the drug menace in Punjab, while making the state more investor-friendly.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him full cooperation for the development of the state.
Winning 77 of the 117 state Assembly seats, the Amarinder Singh-led Congress on Saturday stormed to power in Punjab riding a strong anti-incumbency wave against the ruling SAD-BJP combine and warding off a spirited challenge by newcomer AAP.On the vexed issue of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, Amarinder said it was important to see the quantum of water available with Punjab.“When Punjab does not have enough water, the question of giving it to other states does not arise,” he said.
He said Punjab has 60 per cent of agrarian land with just eight MAF (million acre-feet) water, while Haryana with 40 per cent of agriculture land has 12 MAF water.The Congress’ chief ministerial candidate said he was committed to fulfil all the promises made by the party in its election manifesto.“The Congress-led state government will create an investor-friendly environment in the state. We will make the state’s industrial policy more liberal,” he asserted, adding many top industrialists were in touch with him to set up their units in Punjab.He said a Special Task Force (STF) will be set up to tackle the state’s drug problem.Amarinder maintained that there was a new wave in favour of Congress in the country.
Commenting on newcomer AAP’s showing in the state polls, the senior Congress leader said, “AAP’s bubble has burst”.“There was no wave of the AAP in Punjab. The party’s hype was only on social media,” he said.The senior Congress leader also pointed out the “absence of a regional figure in the AAP”, adding that it was the reason behind its drubbing in the state polls.Calling for a “bigger role for regional leaders in states”, Amarinder said it was vital to project a regional face who could identify with the people.On being asked whether his party would indulge in political vendetta against the Badals, he said, “We will not work with political vendetta against opponents. ” Amarinder also promised to bring reforms in the state police department.“There is a financial problem in Punjab, but we are not afraid…we will ensure that poll promises are fulfilled. We will work day and night to bring Punjab back on track,” he said.On being quizzed about the party’s ‘poor’ performance in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Amarinder said that he spoke to Priyanka Gandhi last night and that they discussed how Congress had the chance of a comeback in the politically-crucial state, just as it did in Punjab.
He said Congress’ winning performance in three of the five states that went to polls showed that the “party’s overall standing had improved.”On the ‘Captain Smart Connect’ programme launched ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls, he said global tenders would soon be floated to procure smartphones as promised under the scheme.Amarinder along with his newly elected MLAs will hold a meeting at Chandigrah later in the day, following which he will meet Governor VP Singh Badnore to stake claim to form the government in the state.Amarinder will leave for Delhi on March 14 for a meeting with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to shortlist names for his Cabinet.Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday submitted his resignation to Governor V P Singh Badnore following his party’s defeat in the assembly polls.
The senior Akali leader said that he will support the Congress government for the development of Punjab.Lok Insaf Party (LIP) members Simarjeet Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh Bains also announced their support to the Congress for the development of the state. — TNS/ PTI