Punjab elections 2017: Amarinder Singh to fight CM Badal on home turf

In the biggest battle of Punjab heavyweights, state Congress chief Amarinder Singh has decided to fight the elections against Chief Minister Prakash Badal from the latter's own constituency, Lambi.

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh on Saturday sought the Congress high command's permission to fight the state assembly elections against incumbent chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal from the latter's constituency of Lambi.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, Singh said that his decision comes after talks with the Congress high command and an official announcement to that effect will be made soon. "I had requested my party high command to give me the opportunity of fighting this man. I want to defeat all the top Akali leaders responsible for destroying the state through their drugs, mafia and goonda raj, and are guilty of ruining its trade, industry and agriculture," said Singh. The well calculated moved is aimed at defeating the Badals in their home turf.

Singh, whose name has already been announced by the Congress for his traditional assembly seat of Patiala-urban, told the media that he wanted to contest against Chief Minister Badal from Lambi to defeat the Akali leader whom he blamed for the "ruin of Punjab".

"He has completely ruined Punjab," Singh said referring to Badal while added that he was willing to fight from Patiala to challenge the CM's son Sukbir Singh Badal as well.

With that in mind, Singh said he had requested the Congress high command to allow him to fight the assembly polls from Lambi so that he could "free Punjab from the vicious and destructive rule of the Badals". "The entire state is in shambles. Badal and his family and associates have brought Punjab to such a shameful pass," the former chief minister said.

OneIndia News