New Delhi: Punjab Congress chief and MP, Amarinder Singh, said his party was getting 'stronger' while Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) image was on a 'decline'. This would assist his party in the 2017 Punjab state assembly polls, he expressed hope.

Taking a jibe at Arvind Kejriwal, Singh said, "initially when he (Kejriwal) was with Anna (Hazare), he said that he would never contest polls and now he has become the CM (of Delhi). How can you trust him," he asked.

He also highlighted the changing fortunes of AAP by pointing to the recently concluded by-elections. This he said showed the decreasing 'jaazba' for AAP.

Pointing to the decline, he said, "I'll give you an example. AAP won the Patiala parliamentary seat (2014). Preneet Kaur from Patiala city (part of Parliamentary seat) was ahead by 5,000 votes but when by-elections (for Patiala city) were held later, Preneet Kaur won the seat by 17,000 votes. So AAP's image is going down not here but everywhere."

He further added that AAP is still a fledgling party and with relatively inexperienced leaders.

"AAP is a new phenomenon. There is no organisational set up (in the party)… AAP has no experience. Such as Singh Chottepur, who was a friend of mine remained a minister in Barnala government for three months. It is the only government experience they have. With people like Bhagwant Mann (Sangrur MP), how will you manage the state when problems are so immense like a debt of Rs 1.25 lakh crore debt etc,"" he said.

Only Congress is capable of confronting the problems plaguing his home state, he added.

"It is the Congress which can bring the state out of the problems," he said.(Inputs from various sources)(image courtesy: apnapatiala.com)