United we stand divided we fall, is something that the Punjab Congress acknowledged on Saturday with Pratap Singh Bajwa formally taking over as the new party president. Captain Amarinder Singh who has been at the helm of party affairs for about a decade and a half also extended his support to the new president.
After a long time, the Punjab Congress seemed to brush away the internal rift plaguing the party as top leaders of the State shared the dais together to give a message that all were united ahead of the 2014 lok Sabha polls.
Union Ministers Pawan Kumar Bansal, Manish Tiwari, Ashwini Kumar and Preneet Kaur, former Union Minister Ambika Soni, former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and several former PCC presidents attended the function. leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Sunil Jakhar was among the legislators who came to the State Congress headquarters here in Sector 15 to coronate the new president.
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tiwari said, "Internal tussle among the party should be put aside as it is high time to unite against the SAD-BJP alliance and end their anarchy."
At the receiving end after the party failed to return to power in the Assembly polls last year, it was evident during the taking charge ceremony that the party wants to leave no stone unturned to prepare for the 2014 lok Sabha elections. Around 15,000 supporters gathered at the Congress Bhawan here giving a new hope to the party.
"The Punjab Congress will rise like a phoenix," said Harish Chaudhury, national secretary of the All India Congress Committee.
He added that power is not something that should be used for meeting personal ends as it is with the SAD-BJP alliance. Democracy is about the verdict of the people and hence power should be used for serving the masses and if Congress follows this ideology, they will win back Punjab.
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said that it is time the party geared up for the lok Sabha elections as people of Punjab have lost faith in the SAD-BJP-led Government.
Rajya Sabha member Ambika Soni highlighted Taran Taran incident pointing out that in Punjab there was no law and order and the ruling SAD-Akali coalition is riding high on hubris. "However, the dictatorship will end soon," said Soni.
Earlier the Congress High Command appointed zonal heads of three zones in the State --Malwa, Doaba and Majha -- Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Tarlochan Singh and Om Prakash Soni in an attempt to revitalise the party and strengthen its base amongst the schedule castes and urban Hindus.
Capt Amarinder Singh who has been replaced by Bajwa said that he will extend all his support to the newly elected president. However, earlier he had shown his resentment by saying that Sonia Gandhi didn't consult him before making the changes.
law Minister Ashwini Kumar said, "Political wars cannot be won with the motif of personal gain but it is war of ideologies and hence all party members and party workers should unite to carry the legacy of the party ahead."