Cong forms 17-member campaign panel

JALANDHAR, Oct 29: In an attempt to end the dissension over campaigning for the Adampur Assembly by-election, Punjab Pradesh Congress Com...

JALANDHAR, Oct 29: In an attempt to end the dissension over campaigning for the Adampur Assembly by-election, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh has constituted a 17-member campaign committee.

In another development, the Punjab unit of the Bahujan Samaj Party has accused both the Akalis and Congress of violating the election code of conduct during campaigning in Adampur. The BSP said while the Akalis were misusing government machinery, the Congress had started a lavish campaign and many vehicles were plying in the constituency, making announcements for votes even before the filing of nomination papers.

With today8217;s announcement of the campaign committee, the Punjab Congress sought to downplay the internal dissensions by accommodating the reportedly disgruntled Congressmen. Accommodated in the committee are former MPs Iqbal Singh, Balbir Singh and Umrao Singh and Dr Lekh Raj, vice-president of PPCC, and Choudhary Darshan Singh.

All the five had absented themselves from a joint press conference held by Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Choudhary Jagjit Singh and PPCC general secretary Bir Devinder Singh here yesterday.

These leaders today wrote to Capt Amarinder Singh welcoming the constitution of the campaign committee. Releasing the copies of the letter, organising secretary Anil Dutta said the senior Congress leaders had assured the PPCC president of making all-out efforts to ensure the victory of the Congress candidate.

The Punjab BSP secretary, Darshan Lal, meanwhile, told reporters here today that if the Congress was really interested in defeating the Akali-BJP candidate in Adampur, it should support the BSP candidate.

He claimed that the Congress was incapable of winning the seat without the support of the BSP. He, however, ruled out BSP supporting the Congress candidate.Amarinder to lead campaign.

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Meanwhile according a report from Chandigarh, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Amarinder Singh would lead his party8217;s campaign in the November 25 Adampur Assembly bye-election.

The campaign committee set up for this purpose included CLP leader Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, Amarjit Singh Samra, Mohinder Singh Kaypee, Avtar Henry, Tej Parkash Singh, Balbir Singh, Umrao Singh, Iqbal Singh, Chaudhary Santokh Singh, Dahrsahn Singh Chaudhary, Harbhajan Singh, Jai Kishan Saini, Brij Bhupinder Singh, Gurbinder Singh Atwal, R K Chakyara and Dr Lekh Raj.

The party is organising a rally at Adampur on November 2.