Captain Amarinder says there are no talks going on between any Congress leader and Navjot Sidhu
Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh today ruled out an alliance with Navjot Singh Sidhu's Awaz-e-Punjab, saying the front is welcome to merge with the Congress party.
Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh today, Captain Amarinder maintained that there were no talks going on between any Congress leader and Mr Sidhu.
Replying to a question about the Sidhu couple's claims that they were in direct contact with the central leadership, the PCC president said they should also tell as with whom they were in contact.
He said the state leadership and the party in charge Asha Kumari and AICC secretary Harish Kumar would be aware of it if any talks took place. Besides, he added, the central leadership keeps the state leadership informed if and when such developments take place.
He clarified that anybody was welcome to join the party but there will be no conditions and no seat adjustments. He pointed out earlier also the People's Party of Punjab and the Shiromani Akali Dal-Longowal also merged into the Congress without any conditions.
"We will soon announce our alliance partner to avoid division of anti-incumbency votes against Akali-BJP Government," said a senior Awaaz-e-Punjab leader.
Navjot Singh Sidhu, 52, had resigned as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha in July this year and formally quit the BJP last month after launching Awaaz-e-Punjab. For weeks, he was in talks to join AAP but Mr Sidhu said they had fallen through because Mr Kejriwal wants "only yes men."