Patiala: Ahead of the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, a poster war has started in Patiala after separate hoardings with Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on them, have emerged. This has also fueled the political turmoil within the Punjab Congress. Posters of Singh have emerged in Amritsar, the home constituency of Navjot Singh Sidhu, calling him the 'real captain' of Punjab while Sidhu's posters saying 'entire Punjab is with Sidhu' have emerged in Singh's native place Patiala.
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Poster terming Singh the 'real captain' of Punjab were put up under a campaign launched by the Youth Congress. The rift between the two leaders has intensified after flex boards supporting Sidhu were put up by Mansimrat Singh Sherry. Sidhu is silent after the intervention of Congress high command but his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu is in action mode. Sherry is considered a close aide to Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who supports her in social work. They together also visited different circles of the Patiala district.
The widening differences between Punjab Congress leaders - Captain Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu has intensified with their wives joining them in the conflict. After Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh's wife and Lok Sabha member from Patiala, Preneet Kaur targeted Navjot Singh Sidhu for 'ignoring' Amritsar, Sidhu's wife Navjot Kaur hit back at her stating that she need not worry about Amritsar which is being handled 'very efficiently', adding that her husband who is providing ration to the people from his savings, will not leave his people in the lurch.
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Now the posters put up by the supporters of the Sidhu family in Patiala have stirred up the political corridor. In Amritsar, the banners supporting Captain were put up by the Municipal Corporation Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu. Supporting the Punjab CM, Rintu stated that they should be shared with the high command and not in front of the media if anyone has any grievances within the party. He also stated that Congress is one big family and if there is any conflict it will be resolved soon.
Reacting to the recent poster war in the state, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Harpal Singh Cheema said that all this is being done to grab the attention of the people to claim the positions of Deputy CM, Pradhan and Ministers. "These people are destroying Punjab without working for the development of the people," he stated. Arshdeep Singh Kler, spokesperson of the Shiromani Akali Dal, said that although this is Congress's internal issue, Captain Amarinder Singh is doubting his captaincy.
Congress MLA Pratak Singh said, "If I am the captain of the hockey team, then I do not need to tell anyone, similarly if Captain Amarinder Singh is the captain of Punjab, there is no need to announce it by putting up posters."
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