Infighting within the Punjab Congress has resurfaced, this time on the issue of holding anti-drug rally. The two power centres in State politics — Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa and former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh — go all out to grab the credit for the proposed rally.
In their war for supremacy, the two senior-most leaders are battling over leading the party from the front over the drug issue against the SAD-BJP coalition Government — in an apparent attempt to show their might.
While Capt Amarinder is preparing to give an impressive show of strength by organising this rally, Bajwa, on the other hand, is trying to prove that he is the boss.
Amarinder has already won the first round of the battle by organising a lunch at his Moti Bagh Palace in Patiala, which was attended by 34 out of 44 Congress MlAs, besides several senior party leaders, including MPs, former MlAs and MPs.
The development assumes significance as the dinner was organised by the Maharaja couple of days after he met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi asking her to replace Bajwa with him of she wants to see congress on victory path.
Capt Amarinder, in his Sunday luncheon meeting, had announced to hold an anti-drug rally against the SAD-BJP Government in Amritsar on January 22 and to confront BJP national chief Amit Shah, who was scheduled to launch party's anti-drug drive on the same day. The rally was, however, postponed citing February 7 Delhi Assembly polls.
Bajwa, on the other hand, has all along been claiming that Congress' January 22 rally in Amritsar was already announced by him, and the same would be held under the ‘PPCC umbrella’. In contrast, Amarinder made it clear that the rally is a programme organised by Amritsar parliamentary constituency alone, which comes under him.
Sources close to Amarinder, also Amritsar MP, maintained that as of now, the Patiala Royal is completely focused on his Amritsar rally, which was going to be a major show of strength after winning the parliamentary seat in 2014 elections. So much so that the senior Congress leader has skipped the crucial meeting of the Congress Working Committee, of which he is a permanent invitee.
Congress’ highest decision-making body, CWC met on Tuesday to discuss its political strategy to counter the BJP's recent moves to promulgate the land Ordinance and also the right wing agenda of reconversions. Amarinder’s absence from the 38-member CWC did raise eyebrows with a section of the leaders especially after missing the entire Winter Session of Parliament, despite being the party’s Deputy leader.
"He is in Patiala and is looking over the preparations for the January 22 rally in Amritsar against the drug menace. He is presently focusing entirely on the mega show which is to be held in his parliamentary constituency," a senior Congress leader told The Pioneer.
Meanwhile, Capt Amarinder has also dismissed speculation that he may leave the party if he does not get a chance to lead it in the State Assembly polls in 2017.
Senior Congress leader, in an interview with the television channel, has made it clear that he had no reason at all to leave the party, especially after heading the Punjab unit for 16 long years.
The former Chief Minister, justifying his demand to remove Bajwa from PPCC president post, maintained that it was for the first time that the "Opposition's popularity is going down, along with that of the ruling party".
"When you are going down, you have to check the downslide, and for that seriously introspect and bring about a change in leadership… We have plenty of people in the State who can lead. One man is not the answer for any State, there are umpteen options. If I am asked, I will give names," he said, in the interview.
Capt Amarinder, after the party high command had appointed Bajwa as PPCC chief replacing him, minced no words to say that if consulted, he would have suggested better name.