Cong needs no alliance in Punjab to sweep 2019 LS polls: Capt Amarinder

Chandigarh : Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday made it clear that the Congress did not need any alliances to fight the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, which it would win hands down on its own.
Given the public sentiment in Punjab, where the Congress had won all the recent elections (including Gurdaspur and Shahkot) with record margins, the party did not require any alliance for the parliamentary elections next year, he said here on Tuesday. The Chief Minister clarified that he had not at any stage mentioned that he was open to an alliance between the Congress and AAP in Punjab, adding that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has lost the support of the people in Punjab completely. He said that the Congress won all elections in the state on its own, beginning with last year’s Assembly polls and the party did not really need any political coalition for next year’s parliamentary polls. The Chief Minister, however, reiterated that the final decision on the pre-poll alliances rested with the Congress high command, and its decision would be accepted and followed by all the state units, be it in Punjab or elsewhere. Alliances are the prerogative of the national party, and they will take a decision at a suitable time, he said, adding that several factors, including winnability, are usually taken into account by the party before going in for an alliance.As far as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) is concerned, it will share its views with the party high command as and when the latter seeks the same, said Amarinder.