AMRITSAR: With the formal announcement of the candidature of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh from Amritsar North assembly constituency by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the political equations have rapidly changed in the high profile constituency with the mayor of Amritsar Karamjit Singh Rintu also showing "keen interest" to contest.
The Amritsar North assembly constituency is presently represented by Congress party’s Sunil Dutti.
Senior sources in the Congress party informed that based on the internal survey and given the tough competition and dent to Congress party’s image owing to the internal conflicts, the party was looking to replace the candidate but had not made any mind so far.
The competition could be much tougher if the former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh forms an alliance with BJP and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa led Akali faction with his newly formed political party Punjab Lok Congress(PLC).
"The survey reports suggest that the political poaching by the traditional political parties may damage the parties whose leaders defect to other party but the eventual gainer could be AAP and it is more important for BJP to stop AAP from gaining given its national threat to the saffron party," said sources.
When asked Rintu, who still has nearly a year and a half tenure as mayor, said: "These are just the rumours, the party high command will eventually decide the candidates and like others, I will also abide by their decision".
On the other hand, Dutti alleged: "Leaders aligned to CLP could be behind spreading canards, let alone Congress workers or supporters even the voters of other parties are with me since I am known for my work done as MLA as well as former Mayor of Amritsar."
In the 2017 assembly elections, Dutti had trounced the then BJP candidate (now with SAD(B) Anil Joshi with a margin of 14,236 votes.
He also denied that political equations could change after the announcement of Kunwar’s candidature. "This will only divide the vote," he said.
On the other hand, sources in SAD(B) informed that Amritsar North assembly constituency would be the one among other assembly constituencies where the party would win with maximum margin. "Anil Joshi has worked relentlessly in the constituency and he is our strong candidate," said sources.
