Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is likely to stay away from Baisakhi mela political conference at Talwandi Sabo on Thursday owing to an injury on his left foot. The Congress is organising the Baisakhi mela conference as a major show for Amarinder’s first public appearance after he took over as the CM. In Amarinder’s absence, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, who returned from Mumbai on Wednesday, will hold fort. Amarinder, who took over as the chief minister on March 16, has not appeared in public ever since. He has not even visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar to pay obeisance, which has been customary for any CM taking over the reins of the state. Sources said Amarinder was planning to visit the Golden Temple next week. But it remains to be seen whether he is able to recover to make it to Amritsar early next week or not. Amarinder’s appearance in Talwandi Sabo was important as his government completes four weeks on Thursday. He had made a promise in the manifesto, repeated several times thereafter, that he would wipe out drug menace in the state in four weeks after taking over. He, along with nine ministers, took oath on March 16 which was a Thursday. His first vow to root out drugs was taken in the heartland of Malwa, when he had held a ‘gutka’ at Bathinda during his first rally after taking over as president of PPCC in December 2015. All eyes were on Amarinder for his tomorrow’s rally in Talwandi Sabo, in Malwa region, as he was expected to present a report card of his government in four weeks. Sources said Amarinder, who had twisted his foot before elections, twisted it again during his visit to Mumbai and was advised rest by his doctor.
