Amid reports of former Batala MLA Ashwini Sekhri quitting the Congress, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday said the senior leader and former minister would continue in the party and there was no question of him leaving. Singh said he spoke to Sekhri on Sunday and assured him that all his concerns would be addressed. In a statement issued by the Punjab Congress, the Chief Minister said that Sekhri was a “wool Congressman” who had spent his entire life with the party and all rumors of him leaving the party were baseless.
Sekhri, a three-time MLA from Batala, is unhappy with the alleged interference of cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa in Batala assembly constituency. There were some reports in the media that Sekhri might join the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal after leaving the Congress.
But Singh said that Sekhri vehemently denied reports in a section of the media that he was leaving the party and joining some other party. Sekhri assured the Chief Minister that he was a committed and dedicated Congressman who could never imagine leaving the party. Singh allaying his apprehensions assured Sekhri that he is a very senior Congress leader who has contributed a lot to the party. He said that it is the duty and responsibility of the party to look after and protect the interests of all senior leaders.
Earlier, Congress MLA Raj Kumar reached Verka Sekhri and met him in Amritsar and after the meeting claimed that he would continue in the party. He told reporters that he had gone to Sekhri’s residence in Amritsar on the instructions of the Congress high command and Chief Minister Singh.
However, Sekhri stayed away from the media. Sekhri was one of several Punjab Congress leaders who met former party chief Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on June 23 amid factionalism in the party’s state unit.
“Ashwani Sekhri will remain in the Congress and will not leave the party, Verka said and added that the party high command has called the former MLA for a meeting. He said he would meet Chief Minister Singh before meeting the party high command Sekhri. Verka said that All India Congress general secretary and the party’s in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat and Amarinder Singh had spoken to Sekhri.
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