Just about two months after the resounding defeat the Congress party suffered in the parliamentary polls, the party appears to be now disintegrating with little hope of recovery.
In a series of rebellions within the party in the neighbouring States of Punjab and Haryana and after the war of words between the present and former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chiefs, senior party leader Jagmeet Brar has raised a banner of revolt.
The reason behind Brar’s outburst is still a matter of conjecture. Some of his colleagues believed that simmering discontentment over party’s performance during the past four-five years have found a vent, while others believed that it could be an indication of his preparation to make an exit.
Under fire over his recent controversial statement asking the party president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi to take a break in the wake of the party’s worst-ever debacle in lok Sabha polls, Brar on Tuesday kept under covers his future plans, and did not give any indication of parting ways with the Congress.
All that he said was that he would work for reviving the party “right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari”. He also made it clear that he was not aiming at the PPCC president’s post or that of Chief Minister’s.
“I would discuss my plans for party’s revival with the Congress president and the high command. This is the need of the hour….I don’t want to PPCC chief or chief minister…I’m over and above all this petty power-game…Capt Amarinder and Bajwa (Partap Singh Bajwa) are in this rat race,” said Brar, a former Congress Working Committee (CWC) member.
Brar, who has been in Congress for 33 years, laid the entire blame on party’s series of defeats on his bête noire Capt Amarinder Singh, while maintaining that he has no differences with any one in the party.
“The party gave him repeated chances but he failed one after another. He declared that party would get 80 seat in 2012 assembly polls, but it could manage only 45… how can such a person think of becoming State party president or Chief Minister,” wondered Brar.
Faridkot’s former MP, Brar, targeting the State party chief Bajwa, said that he had committed a “technical mistake” by issuing me notice. “I have talked to Bajwa about this and told him what technical mistake he has done. I am an AICC member and PPCC cannot issue me notice,” he said.
Brar said that he has replied to the state’s party affairs in-charge Shakeel Ahmed, and its copy would be sent to Bajwa.
Congress party in Punjab has since long been dealing with dissidence, internal bickering, rebels, and what not.
Taking advantage of the same, the ruling alliance, especially the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), is strengthening its party base by bringing in its fold “disgruntled” Congress leaders.
Ever since the SAD-BJP coalition’s record consecutive victory during 2012 elections, around 30 senior leaders have hopped on to the political wagon for joining SAD.
Amongst the Congress’s turncoats are sitting Talwandi Sabo MlA Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu, Moga legislator Joginder Pal Jain, close aide of former Union Minister Preneet Kaur Deepinder Singh Dhillon, former Congress legislator Mangat Rai Bansal, former Minister Avtar Singh Brar, former two-time legislator and ex-minister Isher Singh Meharban, former Minister Malkiat Singh Birmi, among many others. Many of them have been rewarded with plum postings.