Captain Amarinder Singh stays away from Rahul Gandhi’s ceremony

Amarinder Singh (File)

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh skipped the ceremony of Rahul Gandhi taking over as AICC president in Delhi on Saturday. Amarinder’s wife and former union minister Preneet Kaur attended the ceremony. Other Punjab leaders, including Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, PPCC president Sunil Jakhar and Irrigation Minister Rana Gurjit Singh were also present.

Sources said Amarinder had planned to attend the ceremony but dropped the plan at the eleventh hour. Raveen Thukral, CM’s media advisor, said Amarinder was preoccupied with the municipal elections in Punjab on Sunday and hence decided to stay put in Punjab. Amarinder has, however, not campaigned for MC elections.

Thukral said, “The CM does not need to be there in the field personally. That does not mean he does not have to engage in micro-management. He will spend the entire day doing that on Sunday.” Sources close to him said Amarinder had cancelled his plan as the chopper could not fly in the foggy weather conditions in the region. Amarinder, however, tweeted congratulating Rahul Gandhi.