New Delhi, January 5
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress high command today did some plain speaking with the Punjab leaders. While Capt Amarinder Singh was given a “free hand” to plan and conceptualise the campaign, all the warring factions within the state Congress have been told in clear terms that the party would not tolerate indiscipline of any sort. Apparently, the move is aimed at controlling the war of words that periodically erupts between the two former Congress Chief Ministers, Capt Amarinder Singh and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.
Congress veteran Mohsina Kidwai conveyed the sentiments of the party high command at a coordination committee meeting of the state Congress today. Kidwai, it was learnt, was unhappy over the state Congress leaders’ criticism of each other in the media and is said to have handed over a whole bunch of clippings from newspapers to the 11-member committee, saying “all this had to stop
immediately”.
Among those present at the meeting included Amarinder Singh, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Ambika Soni, Ashwani Kumar, Manish Tewari, Jagmeet Brar, Brahm Mohindra, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Mohinder Singh Kaypee, Lal Singh and Ashwani Sekhri.
And about the power struggle between Capt Amarinder and Bhattal over handling of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in the state, the high command conveyed that Amarinder Singh would have the liberty to plan the campaign. However, he would have to ensure that everybody was along.
Notably, the tussle over heading the campaign started last month when Amarinder launched his own road shows and also addressed a few rallies in Punjab. However, Bhattal and her loyalists, including Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Mohinder Singh Kaypee, had distanced themselves from Amarinder’s road shows. Rather, it was projected in the media that these were Amarinder’s own rallies and the PPCC had nothing to do with it.
