Cong flip-flop has party divided, SAD elated

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 27

The decision of the Congress to boycott the Khadoor Sahib bypoll has sparked a raging debate with some leaders and workers supporting the move and others such as Jagmeet Brar opening a front against PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh.

The development has apparently lifted the spirits of the Akali Dal leadership which was reportedly wary of the poll outcome given the “anti-incumbency” sentiment prevailing in the state. Party president and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal said: “The Congress fled the Khadoor Sahib field out of fear of certain and humiliating defeat. It is categorical admission of defeat by the Congress.”

Congress Legislature Party leader Charanjit Singh Channi supported the party decision. He said the reasons for which Congress MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikki had resigned remained unresolved and contesting the election would have defeated the very purpose of Sikki’s sacrifice.

A senior leader from Ludhiana said the move would only help the ruling SAD-BJP regime as the Congress workers would get discouraged. “It is against the spirit of the Congress,” he said.

Congress MLA from Lehragaga Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said she stood by the party’s decision.

Bhattal said it was a right move as Sikki had resigned in protest against incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib. She said how the party could field him again when the Badal government, which was responsible for sacrilege incidents, was still running the affairs of the state.

Senior Congress leader Jagmeet Singh Brar, who had recommended the candidature of Ramanjit Singh Sikki for the Khadoor Sahib bypoll, today slammed Amarinder Singh on the social media. In a series of tweets, he said: "Amarinder Singh has committed a fraud with the high command, party and people by withdrawing from the contest."

He claimed: "Party president Sonia Gandhi had approved the name of party candidate and we ran away from the contest. Amarinder has backstabbed the party cadre and people again."

Speaking to The Tribune over the phone, Jagmeet said: "After my firm stand that we must contest the Khadoor Sahib byelection, I received a letter from the Congress president approving the candidate through the office of Shakeel Ahmad. But Amarinder today said boycotting the byelection was AICC's decision."

When asked about his future course of action, Jagmeet said, "What can I do now? The last day for filing the nominations was today. I will disclose in the coming days what happened in the last four days."

Jagmeet had tweeted last night: "News in the air that Congress not contesting Khadoor Sahib byelection. Himalayan blunder. We must reconsider. Akali Dal headstart for 2017."

Jagmeet, whose suspension was revoked by the Congress high command on August 7 last year, earlier served as a Congress Working Committee (CWC) member but is at present not having any party position. He had, on January 14, appreciated the AAP's Maghi Mela rally by tweeting, "AAP, Maghi conference at Muktsar, a record breaker. Never before in Muktsar so many people heard any leader from Punjab or India."

In some other tweets, Jagmeet said: "We have dug our own grave. Nobody to blame... My heart bleeds to write, we surrendered before Badal and Akalis. We have given up.”

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has attacked the Congress for withdrawing from the bypoll.

Party's Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann said: "The entire senior Congress leadership, including AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmed, had been saying till yesterday that its former MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikki would contest the bypoll."

He said PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh and senior Congress leader Rana Gurjit Singh too had said that Sikki would be filing his nomination papers on January 27. "The sudden announcement by Amarinder today that the Congress would not contest the bypoll is nothing short of a conspiracy," he alleged.

AAP's state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur said by running away from the fray at the eleventh hour, Amarinder had proved that he was hand in glove with the Akali Dal. "The decision was taken to give a free hand to the Akalis in Khadoor Sahib," he alleged.

Trouble for alliance

Tarn Taran: The district unit of the BJP boycotted the Republic Day function here on Tuesday. Akali leader and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Harmit Singh Sandhu was the chief guest. Sources said BJP leaders were not invited officially. Despite that some workers went to the function, but preferred to sit in the public. They left the moment Sandhu started his address. The local district unit has already announced to oppose SAD candidate in the Khadoor Sahib bypoll.

PPCC recast soon, says Amarinder

Chandigarh: PPCC chief Capt Amainder Singh in an effort to keep the flock together has retained the office-bearers of the existing state unit of the party.  Interacting with the mediapersons on Wednesday, Amarinder said instead of replacing the sitting office-bearers, he had strengthened it further. Earlier, it was being believed that the reconstitution could see pruning of the jumbo-size party unit. Presently, there are 15 vice-presidents and 35 general secretaries appointed by then PPCC president Partap Bajwa. Amarinder said he had sent the list of new party set-up to the Central leadership for approval. Sources said triggered by defections from the Congress, the former CM has tried to accommodate as many leaders as possible. The PPCC chief said the MLAs and district presidents would be asked be concentrate in their respective Assembly segments only.