Capt accuses one-time loyalist Pavi of backstabbing party

Taking a dig at his one-time loyalist and Shiromani Akali Dal MLA from Talwandi Sabo Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu ‘Pavi’, Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday accused the former of backstabbing him and the party.

The Congress leader said this while addressing a gathering during a political conference on occasion of Baisakhi fair.

Amarinder said even as Pavi was close to him despite being an Akali MLA the latter should not think that he will be spared.

“He (Sidhu) has backstabbed me. This amounts to backstabbing the party. Don’t expect any leniency from me if you do something wrong,” Capt said.

Sidhu, who won as an independent MLA from Talwandi Sabo in 2002 and then joined the Congress after the party formed government in Punjab, was considered very close to Amarinder.

He was elected MLA from the same segment in 2007 and 2012 as a Congress candidate. He joined the SAD in March 2014 ahead of the parliamentary elections and was elected MLA on SAD ticket in the August 2014 bypoll.

Ticket aspirants address rally

The race for party ticket from the constituency for the 2017 assembly election was evident between local leaders Khushbaz Jatana and Sukhdev Singh Chahal, both of whom made it a point to address the rally.

Chahal has been trying to show his closeness to Amarinder by posting his photos with the Punjab Congress chief on social media.

Jatana, who was close to former PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa, is now trying to be close to Amarinder. He is staking claim to party ticket, claiming following among the youth.