After naming candidate, Cong says will boycott Punjab by-poll

A day after naming a candidate, the Congress on Wednesday did a volte face by declaring that it will “boycott” the February 13 by-poll for the Khadoor Sahib Assembly constituency in Punjab because the issue of sacrilege remains unresolved. “It’s a boycott, it is not opting out (of the electoral fight),” PCC president and former CM Amarinder Singh said. 

The party had on Tuesday announced the re-nomination of Ramanjit Singh Sikki, who represented Khadoor Sahib before quitting over the sacrilege issue a few months ago. The seat had fallen vacant because of Sikki’s resignation. 

“He (Sikki) wrote to me that I resigned on that (desecration) issue and further mentioned that unless the party orders him to fight, his conscience does not permit to fight. I agreed with him, endorsed what he said and I sent his letter to the Congress president, she has, of course, approved his candidature but left it to me and the PCC to decide if he should fight or not,” Singh said.