Rana Gurjeet confident of Congress return under Channi’s leadership 

KAPURTHALA, January 19:

Senior Congress leader and Minister for Technical Education, Rana Gurjeet Singh today expressed confidence that the Congress party will return to power with a thumping majority under the leadership of the Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

Addressing a series of meetings of his party workers and supporters here today, Rana said, the opposition was completely fragmented and the people see only hope in the Congress. He maintained that people of Punjab have seen that the Congress does not compromise when it comes to public interest. “When the party felt the need to change the leadership in the interest of the state, it took no time and brought Mr Channi, who is coming best to the expectations of the masses”, he said, while adding, during last three months people of Punjab have seen how hardworking the Chief Minister is and he deserves another chance.

Later in an informal interaction with reporters, Rana said, Bhagwant Mann’s announcement as the Aam Aadmi Party’s Chief Ministerial candidate will not make any difference. “I congratulate Mann Sahab for being nominated as party’s CM candidate, at the same time let me add, Congress is too strong to be overwhelmed by any other party or the leader”, he said.

Responding to the allegations levelled against him by some party MLAs that he was interfering in their constituencies, Rana remarked, “I am really thankful to those MLAs for acknowledging my clout in their assembly segments”. This means, he added, they really themselves lack something that their constituents are influenced by him and not them.

On the issue of his son Rana Inder Singh contesting as an independent candidate from Sultanpur Lodhi, he said, he (Rana Inder) has every right to do whatever he feels is right to do. “Just because he is my son does not render him ineligible to contest”, he remarked, while adding, he has worked in the constituency and has got encouraging response from the public with most of the Congress workers rallying around him.