Eyeing polls, Cong dissolves Punjab unit

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 21

Ahead of the 2022 Punjab elections, the Congress today dissolved the state party unit to pave the way for a comprehensive revamp.

Party president Sonia Gandhi issued an order dissolving the office-bearers and executive committee of state organisation and district organisation, while adding Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar would continue in his position. The reorganisation of Punjab Congress would begin soon, said AICC in charge of the state Asha Kumari. The move was meant to “streamline the party organisation in the state and getting it ready for the next elections”, she told The Tribune.

In a related development, Sonia also formed an 11-member panel for coordination between the party and the state government. Kumari was named chairperson of the panel, which will comprise CM Capt Amarinder Singh; PCC chief Sunil Jakhar; AICC general secretary Ambika Soni; ministers CS Channi, SS Arora and Vijay Inder Singla; Punjab Congress general secretary Sandeep Sandhu; and MLAs Kuljit Nagra and Gurkirat Kotli.

Yesterday, the Congress president had named former minister and party veteran P Chidambaram as chairman of the Punjab manifesto implementation committee, which will review the progress of party’s promises to people.

The three orders — dissolution of the state and district units, formation of coordination and manifesto implementation committees — are aimed at oiling the party machinery for the Assembly elections.

Kumari added the reorganisation was overdue since the time when Capt Amarinder was the state unit chief. “The idea is to prune the committee and revamp the panel considering recent movements of state leaders to the government or to boards and commissions as directors and chairmen. Those in the government are expected to work there and new faces will need to be inducted into the Punjab organisation,” said Kumari.

Jakhar, meanwhile, has not had the opportunity to appoint his own team and the current state unit mostly retains the leaders who were in the organisation under Captain as state Congress president.

The organisational revamp was delayed by a series of elections in Punjab.