Capt aide Lal Singh may head Punjab Cong

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 28

The much-awaited overhaul in the Congress is all set to begin with the likely replacement of incumbent Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa by Monday. Delhi, too, will get a new party chief.

While Congress general secretary in charge of communications Ajay Maken has been picked to head the party unit in Delhi, there is larger consensus on the name of veteran leader Lal Singh as the chief of the Punjab Congress. 

Lal Singh, a former minister in Punjab, is known to be close to Capt Amarinder. The party today indicated that Amarinder’s consent was being taken in the appointment of a new chief in Punjab.

It is learnt that the party is likely to call the new chief of Punjab unit as “working president” to leave room for the installation of Amarinder Singh closer to the 2017 state elections.

Congress general secretary in charge of Punjab Shakeel Ahmad, however said, “There is no decision on this matter yet.” Capt Amarinder Singh could not be contacted. It is learnt that he rushed to Patiala from Delhi today to attend to his ailing mother. That’s why Capt missed the presentation of the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha this morning.

What is clear now is that Bajwa will be replaced soon, marking an end to the long simmering dissent against him as also to the open war between him and Capt Amarinder. 

Amarinder led the rebellion against Bajwa and recently told both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-chief Rahul that the party had no chance of victory under him as state president.

In Delhi, Ajay Maken will be brought in as Congress chief with Sonia accepting his resignation from the post of Congress general secretary (communications). Maken, a Rahul loyalist, confirmed the move which will be announced tomorrow by party general secretary, Delhi, PC Chacko.

There is speculation that Deputy Leader of Rajya Sabha and senior party spokesperson Anand Sharma may replace Maken as Congress general secretary in charge of communications.