Intense infighting led to Congress defeat in Majha

Perneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 26

The PPCC leadership tussle, infighting and a demoralised party cadre saw the Congress bite the dust in the civic body elections in Majha. Virtually decimated, the party won only 26 out the total 277 seats in four districts.

Talking to The Tribune, Dera Baba Nanak MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said: “Lack of leadership led to our defeat. The party workers were demoralised.” Hitting out at PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa for the party poor show on his home turf Qadian, he said he step down in the interest of the party.

“If he is a true Congress man, he must resign, owning moral responsibility for the defeat. What could be more ignominious than the PPCC chief failing ensure a win in his own district,” he asked. Randhawa said although fed up with the Akalis, the voters had rejected the Congress.

Batala MLA Ashwani Sekhri blamed Bajwa and his brother for party’s defeat. He accused Bajwa of promoting factionalism in the party and constituting “Partap Congress” in every district. He claimed that had the party been led by a strong leader, the results would have been different.

Amritsar West MLA Rajkumar Verka blamed lack of coordination and infighting for the party’s defeat. Bajwa could not be contacted for comment.

A Congress leader from Tarn Taran said: “The workers were demoralised because of lack of leadership. But we fought it out at the grassroots level.” Another Congress leader from Amritsar echoed similar sentiments. He said the people would have voted for the Congress if it stood united under a strong leader.

Batala MLA Ashwani Sekhri and Amritsar West MLA Rajkumar Verka accused the SAD of misusing official machinery and resorting to muscle and money power in the elections. They said the SAD had got the nomination papers of Congress candidates rejected on “flimsy grounds”, at several places. This had helped the SAD win half the battle even before the polling day. In Tarn Taran district, the Congress leaders complained of “bogus voters.”