Parliamentary polls 2014 are drawing nearer, but Congressmen in Punjab are travelling farther from each other. The distance have only increased during last couple of months and the detachment once again manifested itself on Saturday in party’s State-level National Integration Rally, attended by party’s several central leaders.
The absence of State Congress’ senior leaders Amarinder Singh and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal from the rally organised to mark death anniversary of former Chief Minister Beant Singh was enough to indicate that party is still a divided house in Punjab. The rally was attended by Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Shakeel Ahmad, AICC secretary Harish Chaudhary, Congress legislative Party leader Sunil Jakhar, among others.
Notwithstanding back-to-back defeats, Punjab Congress is marred by factionalism and dissension at various levels. After Congress high command reposed faith in Capt Amarinder by appointing him as permanent invitee to all-powerful Congress Working Committee, the two power centers emerged within the party — one under him, and another headed by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa — with their own set of loyalists. Not to overlook the firebrand leader Bhattal. Relegated to a position where she has been playing a second fiddle since long, Bhattal too kept on asserting herself with her own supporters.