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Congress needs no alliance in Punjab for 2019 elections: Amarinder
Chandigarh, July 24 (IANS) Amid reports suggesting that the Congress could go in for an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at the national level, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday made it clear that the party did not need any alliance to fight the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the state.
“Given the public sentiment in Punjab, where the Congress had won all the recent elections (including Gurdaspur and Shahkot) with record margins, the party did not require any alliance for the parliamentary elections next year. The Congress will win hands down on its own,” he said here.
Pointing out that the AAP had lost the support of the people in Punjab completely, the Chief Minister clarified that he had not at any stage mentioned that he was open to an alliance between the Congress and AAP in Punjab.
“The fact was that given the Congress sweep in the state in all recent elections, beginning with last year’s Assembly polls, the party did not really need any political coalition for next year’s parliamentary polls,” he said.
Amarinder Singh, however, reiterated that the final decision on pre-poll alliances rested with the Congress high command and its decision would be accepted and followed by all the state units, be it in Punjab or elsewhere.
“Alliances are the prerogative of the national party, and they will take a decision at a suitable time. Several factors, including winnability, are usually taken into account by the party before going in for an alliance.
“As far as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) is concerned, it will share its views with the party high command as and when the latter seeks the same,” he said.
“As in the past, the national leadership of the party will take into account the ground situation in every state and the opinion of the state unit before taking a final decision on any alliance. The PPCC would also be internally discussing the issue as and when required to build a consensus on the matter,” he added.
The Congress had swept the assembly elections in Punjab early last year, winning 77 seats in the 117-member assembly. It has won three by-elections in the state since then.
The Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance, which ruled Punjab for a decade (2007-2017), finished third in the assembly poll results.
The AAP, in its first outing in the assembly polls in Punjab, ended up as the main opposition party, though winning only 20 seats. It had won four out of 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab in the 2014 general elections.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.