Tribune News Service: October 21st, 1998
Lally to be Cong candidate

CHANDIGARH, Oct 20 — Capt Amarinder Singh, President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, said here today that the party had decided to field Mr Kanwaljit Singh Lally in the Adampur byelection in Punjab.

Fortythree-year-old Kanwaljit Singh is a Vice-President of a Zila Parishad of Jalandhar district, according to Capt Amarinder Singh. He had contested from Adampur constituency last time also but had lost to the Akali candidate, Mr Sarup Singh, who died recently, by a margin 16,304 votes. Then the BSP's Rajinder Kumar had finished third securing 17,768 votes.

Capt Amarinder Singh said that he would be camping in Adampur constituency till the end of the election and the party would start its election campaign on October 22 by holding its first election meeting at Bhogpur. All Congress PCC members would be inducted in the election campaign and each of them would be in charge of one village while party office-bearers would be in charge of a group of villages.

He said that he had requested the party high command to send the leaders belonging to Doaba region back to Adampur constituency from other states where they had been deputed as party observers for election purpose. He said that he would also campaign in Ganganagar belt and Delhi for Congress candidates but would mainly concentrate in Adampur constituency. The party high command has asked the PPCC to campaign in nine Vidhan Sabha constituencies dominated by Punjabis in Ganganagar and Hanumangarh area in Rajasthan.

When asked about a tie-up with other parties, Capt Amarinder Singh said he was in touch with BSP, CPI, and CPM leaders and was trying to persuade them to support the Congress candidate. He made it clear that his party would not forgo its claim on Adampur constituency. He said that Adampur would be contested more keenly than Gidderbaha byelection where the late Mr Beant Singh had campaigned for three weeks without any break.

Capt Amarinder Singh said he did not celebrate Divali yesterday as he was upset after seeing the plight of farmers during his visit to various grain markets a day before Divali.

Capt Amarinder Singh said he had constituted a committee under the leadership of Mr G.S. Galib to prepare a report with regard to damage to crops and condition of farmers. He had been asked to give his report within 10 days. Capt Amarinder Singh said Mrs Sonia Gandhi was willing to visit Punjab and efforts were being made to plan her tour to this State.

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