Amarinder Singh slams Rajinder Kaur Bhattal

CHANDIGARH: The war of words between former Punjab chief ministers Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Amarinder Singh seemed far from over with the latter today alleging that Bhattal "always depends on and wins with Akalis' help from Lehra Gagga Assembly seat".

Reacting to Bhattal's charge that he won the Lok Sabha election from Amritsar due to support of SAD, Deputy Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Singh said just because the former chief minister always depends on the Akalis does not mean that others will also be doing the same.

"For the sake of record, let me refresh her memory that Arun Jaitely was specifically invited by (Punjab CM) Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir to contest from Amritsar with a promise of walkover and not to get him defeated at the cost of their prestige and credibility," Singh said.

Not just that, Singh added, Badal pronounced Jaitley as the future Finance Minister of the country promising truckloads of money to the state and spent maximum time campaigning in the constituency with cabinet minister Bikram Majithia taking charge of the election campaign.

"...if Bhattal still has any suspicion she can clear it by choosing a constituency for me to contest from and look after my campaign to ensure no Akalis support me... And I assure her, I will still win as I have full confidence in the love Punjabis have always showered on me against all odds," the Congress MP said.

He alleged that Bhattal was making these allegations as she had nothing to look forward to except the dark despair of political oblivion.

Amarinder and Bhattal got into a fresh slugfest after Amarinder favoured the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, which is stuck in Parliament, and Bhattal took strong objection to it.