Revised text: CLP leader to be announced today

Rajmeet Singh

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 18

Amid reports of AICC general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Ambika Soni’s reluctance to accept the responsibility of the new Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, AICC-appointed observers Harish Chaudhary and Ajay Maken, and Punjab affairs in charge Harish Rawat today deferred the decision on announcement of the new leader.

The announcement of party’s new leader by the AICC-appointed observers will be made at a CLP meeting called on Sunday, so that the new Chief Minister and the Council of Minister can take oath at the earliest.

Within hours of Capt Amarinder Singh resigning as the Chief Minister, 78 party MLAs unanimously passed a resolution authorising party president Sonia Gandhi to decide on the new leader of the CLP. The other front-runners for the post are former PCC chief Sunil Jakhar and MLA Sukhjinder Randhawa.

The resolution was moved by senior party leader Brahm Mohindra. Another resolution moved by observer Maken appreciated the work done by Capt Amarinder Singh during his four-and-a-half-year tenure. Captain Amarinder stayed away from the meeting. Both resolutions have been forwarded to the party president for a final decision.

Sources in the party said the top leadership was keen on putting up a Hindu face as the CLP leader. “With Hindu face as the CM, the party may appoint a Jat leader and a Dalit face as Deputy Chief Ministers to balance the caste equation. Apart from Jakhar, senior leader Brahm Mohindra is another Hindu face,” said a senior party leader privy to the development.

Sources said as the meeting started and the resolution was signed by the legislators, party leaders on the sidelines took up with Rawat whether to name a Hindu face as the CLP leader or the Sikh leaders who “waged the war” against Capt Amarinder Singh.

Sukhjinder Randhawa, a Jat face, and Charanjit Channi, a Dalit leader, were among contenders for the CLP leader’s post, it is learnt. Both played a crucial role in Captain Amarinder’s ouster.