People of Punjab will give clear mandate to Congress: Harish Rawat

Ruling out the possibility of a fractured mandate, former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat on Wednesday asserted that the people will bring back Congress with a clear majority in Punjab as it is the only party which can take all sections of the society along and lead the state on the path of development.

At the time of Amarinder Singh's unceremonious exit as the CM in September last year, Rawat was then in-charge of Congress' Punjab affairs.

Later, in October, Harish Chaudhary had succeeded Rawat as in-charge of Punjab affairs.

Rawat exuded confidence that the Congress will also return to power in Uttarakhand, which went to polls on February 14, and win close to 48 out of the 70 seats in the state.

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On Punjab, the veteran leader said, "Punjab won't give a fractured mandate. Punjab won't go for an experiment and will give a clear-cut mandate in Congress' favour, we will win with a clear majority".

Punjab, which has a 117-member assembly, goes to polls on February 20.

Rawat was asked whether he see the possibility of Punjab throwing up a hung verdict with so many players, including the Congress, AAP, SAD-BSP, BJP-led alliance, in the fray.

"In recent years as much I have understood Punjab, the state gives clear cut responsibility," Rawat told PTI in a telephonic interview, ruling out the possibility of a fractured mandate.

"We have a mini Punjab here in Udham Singh Nagar (Uttarakhand). What Punjab is feeling, that voice is reaching here and I can sense that Congress is in a comfortable position in Punjab as well as in my home state.

In the 2017 polls, Congress had returned to power in Punjab with an overwhelming majority.

Rawat, also a former Union minister, said Punjab needs a party which can take all sections along and lead the state on the path of development, adding that his party is the only alternative.

He alleged that the BJP has a divisive agenda, while the Aam Aadmi Party wants to implement the Delhi Model of governance, which has proved to be a failure.

The Akalis too will be rejected by the people like last time, Rawat said.

On BJP promising to wipe out the drug menace if their party-led alliance comes to power, Rawat asked what where they doing for ten years to tackle the scourge when they were running the government in alliance with the SAD. "So, people won't believe their claims on the drug issue," he said.

Praising Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, he said in his short stint of 111 days, he took several pro-people decisions and acted against the "drug mafia".

Taking on the Aam Aadmi Party, which is seen as a key challenger to the Congress, Rawat said, "AAP has no mature leadership in Punjab".

Rawat said, "Congress has a full set up of tested and mature leaders besides having some good young leaders, some new prospects. So, it is a good mix".

He said only Congress can provide solution to Punjab's development and security needs, and it was getting full support of a cross-section of society, including the farmers.

"Punjabiyat has influenced the entire nation, we are all proud of that fact. Only Congress can strengthen that," he said.

Asked how he would assess Channi's tenure, Rawat said, "He has worked hard during a short period of time he got before the model code came into force. He (Channi) has that mettle, he runs Punjab as per wishes of its people".

"I have been chief minister (of Uttarakhand), but I can say one thing he has proved to be a great prospect. He will be a very good chief minister. He is a poor-oriented, farmer-oriented, village-oriented, common man-oriented chief minister," he added.

At the same time, he said, the Congress in Punjab was working as a team and if the party wins, there will be "big contribution" of leaders like state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu in this.

On various parties promising freebies ahead of Punjab polls, he said, what Congress promises is always backed by budgetary allocation and sound economics.

"The Congress party has a social agenda for the poor, weaker and down trodden sections and needy people. All welfare schemes were initiated by the Congress, including MGNREGA and Food Security scheme.

"What decisions we take are backed by budgetary allocations and economics of that is always taken care of," he said.

On events which led to Amarinder Singh's exit as Punjab CM, Rawat said, "There were certain factors. It appeared that he was surrendering under certain pressure. He was not delivering what Congress was expecting him to deliver.

"It appeared that there was some force which was preventing him from doing so. And because of this, there was some anxiousness in Punjab Congress' legislature party and we had to convene CLP meeting. Instead of facing this legislature party meeting, he chose to tender his resignation," he said.

"The Congress leadership respected the voice which was raised by Punjab Congress leaders against Capt Amarinder Singh. The change was not thrusted upon Punjab. It was initiated by Punjab Congress and party leadership accepted that. It was a unanimous decision of Punjab CLP (to remove him)," he said.

Meanwhile, in Uttarakhand, Rawat said, "We are winning 48 out of 70 seats".

"We will provide a good and stable government and we will fulfil the promises made to the people," he said.

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