It’s official: Capt to lead Cong in Punjab, Lal Singh is his deputy

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 27

With only a year left for the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, the Congress today handed over the mantle of the state unit to former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who has twice served in the post earlier.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi appointed Capt Amarinder as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president after his yearlong battle of nerves with his predecessor Partap Bajwa, who quit yesterday making way for the former CM.

“It won’t be a one-man show. We all will work together to bring the Congress to power in Punjab. We have no factionalism,” Capt Amarinder told The Tribune today when asked how he proposed to take the state leaders along amid fears of his personality overshadowing them.

Capt insisted that even his fight for Bajwa’s replacement wasn’t personal.

The party high command today ensured a comprehensive reshuffle in Punjab, naming former minister and sitting MLA Lal Singh as senior vice-president of the party in the state. The Congress also announced the Punjab campaign committee for the 2017 elections with former minister and Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Ambika Soni as its chairperson, Dalit leader Sadhu Singh Dharamsot as vice-chairman and Lok Sabha MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Bittu as its convener.

A release issued by AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said more announcements would follow. The new team reflects a crucial balance of community interests in Punjab where Capt represents the Jats, Lal Singh the OBCs, Soni the Hindus and Dharamsot the Dalits. The state has around 17% Jats, 38% Dalits and 23% Hindus.

Asked who the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader would be after Sunil Jakhar quit yesterday, Congress general secretary (Punjab) Shakeel Ahmad said: “The Congress president will appoint observers. There will be a CLP meeting and MLAs will be asked to elect their leader, although the convention is they authorise the high command to name the CLP chief.” Sources said Jakhar, if backed by all MLAs, may return as the CLP leader.

On the delay in the reshuffle, started by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi with an MLA meeting in February, Ahmad said all voices needed to be heard. Capt had, in November 2014, told Sonia to replace Bajwa for the Congress to have a chance in Punjab. The Tribune has, however, learnt that the turning point in the reshuffle exercise came last month when Capt indicated to the party that he would consider walking out if a quick and judicious decision was not taken in the state’s interest. This triggered a fresh round of consultations in which Rahul again met MLAs, districts and municipal representatives ultimately coming around to the idea of Capt, the favourite leader, as the state chief.

Capt had stuck to his stand: “If the party expects him to deliver victory, it must give him a position of decision making.” Under the Congress Constitution, only the state chief and CLP leaders sit with the leadership to decide on tickets.