Amritsar ticket for Manmohan Singh? Congress may upset BJP plans

With Congress floating the name of former PM Manmohan Singh for the Amritsar parliamentary constituency, BJP is in a tricky situation and is reportedly reviewing its panel list of candidates. This even as state BJP chief Shwait Malik raised questions over Singh’s contribution to Amritsar.

The Punjab BJP camp came into action after CM Amarinder Singh, Congress state chief Sunil Jakhar and Asha Kumari, in charge of state affairs, called on the former PM on Sunday and asked him to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Amritsar. Manmohan didn’t give his consent immediately despite repeated efforts of the three leaders.

To many here, it reminded them of SAD chief Sukhbir Badal’s offer to Arun Jaitley during the last polls to visit Amritsar to file the nomination papers and be assured of victory. Punjab Congress leaders are said to have given similar assurances to Manmohan Singh.


“We are not worried even if Manmohan Singh contest elections from Amritsar. Rather it suits us,” Malik said on Monday. When asked whether local unit of the Congress was prepared to gather support for the ex-PM, district Congress chief Jatinder Sonia said Manmohan’s name was trusted across the nation and he belonged to whole of India. “His name and his work is sufficient for people to vote for him. It will be a matter of pride for people of Amritsar,” she said.

The family of Manmohan Singh, a noted economist even before he became the PM, had migrated to Amritsar from Gah village in Pakistan during the Partition. He had studied at the Hindu College here. His party is not missing out on the fact that fielding such a reputed Sikh candidate from historic city of Amritsar has a significant symbolic value.