'He Refused To Give Free Electricity to Poor': Rahul on Amarinder's Ouster As CM

Amarinder Singh had a contract with power supply companies, Rahul Gandhi alleged.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, giving reasons for his expulsion from the top post.

(Photo: The Quint)

Days before the Punjab Assembly election, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at former chief Minister Amarinder Singh, giving reasons for his expulsion from the top post.

Addressing a rally in Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib, Gandhi said, "I will tell you why was Captain Amarinder Singh was removed as the Chief Minister of Punjab. It is because he did not agree to provide free electricity to the poor people. He said I have a contract with the power supply companies."

Singh was asked by the Congress high command to resign from his post as the Punjab chief minister in September last year.

Subsequently, he formed a regional party called Punjab Lok Congress, which is contesting the Punjab election in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).

Singh resigned from the Congress party following a tussle with Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Earlier, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had also commented on Singh's removal as the chief minister, saying that his government was actually being run by the BJP from New Delhi.

"The government stopped running from Punjab, it was being led by the BJP-led central government," Vadra said, adding that the hidden nexus between the two had been revealed.

The 117 seats in Punjab will go to the polls on 20 February. The results will be announced on 10 March.