Determined to capture power from the SAD-BJP combine in Punjab while also challenging the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s candidacy for power in Punjab, the Congress party on Sunday replaced Shakeel Ahmed as its State party affairs with the senior leader Kamal Nath.
Affecting the changes a day before Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s visit in poll-bound Punjab, Congress high command has appointed the former Union Minister Kamal Nath as party’s Punjab affairs in-charge.
Nath, the former Union Minister, has been made in-charge of Punjab along with Haryana and Chandigarh, said party general secretary Janaradan Dwivedi, while adding that the name was approved by the party chief Sonia Gandhi.
Shakeel’s replacement was much awaited after the party high command appointed former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh as Punjab Congress chief, ahead crucial 2017 state assembly polls. It has been learnt that Capt Amarinder and Shakeel did not share a good rapport — something the Congress high command wanted to get rid of especially after sitting in the opposition for two consecutive terms in Punjab.
Congress is hopeful of making a comeback on the national political scene by registering a win in Punjab polls, scheduled to be held next year. To ensure the same, the party is taking Punjab on priority and leaving no stone unturned.
Young Gandhi scion, who is virtually leading the party from the front, has been taking lot of interest in Punjab, and ensuring his presence in the State at short intervals.
Already, Congress has roped in poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who successfully managed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s lok Sabha campaign in 2014 and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s last year, to aid and assist the party’s UP and Punjab units.
In Punjab, Congress is marred by acute factionalism and Nath’s appointment is a step towards the same. Sources said that Shakeel’s failure to check the power struggle between the senior party leaders, coupled with “not-so-good” relations with the state party chief, led to his ouster.
Notably, Shakeel Ahmed, who had all along supported Punjab’s former party chief Partap Singh Bajwa against Capt Amarinder, has now been promoting the state Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader Charanjit Singh Channi — who is not Capt Amarinder’s choice.
Nath’s appointment is being seen as the party’s apparent attempt to subdue the internal strife and groupism. The high command, it seems, has also appointed a senior leader like Kamal Nath with a high-ranking leader like Capt Amarinder for better coordination between the two.
69-year-old Nath is the senior most MP in the current lok Sabha having won from his pocket borough of Chhindwara nine times. Nath was a general secretary some 15 years back in-charge of key states like Gujarat and West Bengal.
Capt Amarinder is also party’s Deputy leader in lok Sabha and proved his mettle after making the Union Finance Minister and BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley bite the dust in his maiden election from Amritsar.
The appointment assumed significance as Nath’s name has been linked with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, though no case has been registered against him. However, the Congress’ rivals have been targeting the party for the same.