Manpreet wanted united front before date announced: Capt

State Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said that though before the announcement of the Moga bypoll, PPP chief Manpreet Singh Badal had advocated a united opposition, he announced his party's candidate without discussing the matter with the Congress.

Amarinder clarified that he had not spoken to Manpreet on the issue of a common candidate for Moga since Manpreet had already announced that his party will contest the bypoll. "However, when we had met much before the announcement of the bypoll (September last year), Manpreet had advocated the idea of an unified Opposition to the extent of saying that the unity of the Opposition could be announced at Maghi Mela," he said, adding that at Maghi Mela, however, Manpreet announced his decision to field his party candidate.

Amarinder also clarified that if Manpreet wanted Opposition unity and an understanding with the Congress, there was a proper procedure for it.

Asked whether this will help SAD and whether Manpreet had any subtle understanding with his former party, Amarinder said: "It is for Manpreet to answer such questions." He, however, agreed that a common candidate against the SAD would have been in the interest of the people, "as it would have prevented the division of anti-Akali votes and made their (Akalis) defeat easier".

Withdraw nominee: Cong to Morcha

MOGA: The Congress on Wednesday appealed to Sanjha Morcha, a conglomerate of different political parties, to withdraw its candidate in favour of the party, for the Moga bypoll slated for February 23.

"I am in touch with the Sanjha Morcha patron Surjit Singh Barnala, PPP chief Manpreet Singh Badal and CPI to persuade them to withdraw their candidate in favour of the Congress nominee," AICC member Jagmeet Singh Brar told mediapersons here. He added he will meet top leaders of Sanjha Morcha within a day so that he could convince them to withdraw their candidate Ravinder Singh Dhaliwal. Brar exuded confidence that the Sanjha Morcha will agree as both Congress as well as the Morcha wanted to defeat the SAD-BJP candidate Joginderpal Jain.

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