Congress gives back teeth to Amarinder

CHANDIGARH: The Congress high command on Wednesday rehabilitated former chief minister Amarinder Singh in Punjab and appointed him chairman of the election committee in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and also effected a change in the PCC structure.

Acting PCC president Mohinder Singh Kaypee was appointed the state PCC chief replacing former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who has also been holding the additional charge of leader of the opposition in the assembly.

The changes signify clipping of wings of Bhattal who had lately been charged with developing proximity to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

The appointment of Amarinder Singh as chairman of the campaign committee would help the former chief minister re-establish his moorings in the party after he had fallen out of favour with the party high command in the wake of the last assembly elections.
Congress leaders in Punjab said the Amarinder’s rehabilitation was must for the party to gain grounds in the coming Lok Sabha election. It was alleged that though the Congress had lost the last election, yet its gains in the Akali votebank were substantial.