Revolt in Punjab Cong against Bajwa

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 19

The revolt against the current leadership of the Punjab Congress was out in the open today. A delegation of 30 senior Congress leaders from the state met the party’s central leadership to demand an immediate change of guard or face electoral consequences.

The delegation led by Congress legislature party leader in Punjab Sunil Jakhar is learnt to have met Ambika Soni, AICC general secretary in charge of the Congress president’s office, this evening and openly conveyed to her the need to replace Punjab Pradesh Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa.

The delegation comprising senior MLAs like Kewal Dhillon, Rana Gurjeet, Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Sukhjinder Randhawa and Arvind Khanna is rallying behind former Chief Minister of Punjab Capt Amarinder Singh as the “alternative” to Bajwa in the state.

The party leaders also had a long meeting with Amarinder at his official residence # 7, Janpath. Amarinder admitted that the visiting leaders were concerned over the deteriorating situation of the party in Punjab and wanted the high command to act immediately in the interest of the party. He confirmed that he hosted them to lunch after they were unable to get an appointment with Sonia, currently hospitalised with a chest infection.

“We discussed the political situation in Punjab where the party is at its lowest ebb right now. The consensus was that immediate decisions would have to be taken to stem the rot considering only two years are left before the next elections and two years will go by in a jiffy. My own opinion is that the Congress leadership must act now as very little time is left for us to respond to the ongoing challenges. The leadership crisis needs a resolution,” Capt Amarinder told The Tribune.
“Never has the rebellion against an incumbent president gone to the level of blocks. The problem for Congress in the state is grave and the acceptability of current president negligible... Bajwa needs to be replaced unless the party has settled for political non-recovery,” said a leader on the condition of anonymity.
The leaders who attended the lunch at Amarinder’s residence in a show of support for him included – MLAs Gur Iqbal Kaur, Harchand Kaur, Mohd Siddiqui, Ajaib Bhatti, Sukh Sarkaria, Raj Kumar Verka, Raman Jit Sikki, and former MLAs Rana Kaypee, Malkeet Singh Dhaka, and Vice President, Punjab Congress Gurpreet Kangar.