The resounding defeat in parliamentary polls for Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Partap Singh Bajwa has not thrown him out of power, at least for the time being.
Putting to rest all speculations, the Congress high command has hinted against change in guard in State. At the same time, it has asked the rivals within to toe the party line and not to wash their dirty linen in public.
It has also issued a strict warning to the “rebel” Congress leaders, who have all along been demanding Bajwa’s resignation following party’s poll debacle in the recently-concluded lok Sabha elections, to raise their issues at the party forum and not in the public.
large number of Congress MlAs, including Kewal Singh Dhillon, and other senior leaders including party’s district units heads have raised a banner of revolt against Bajwa, mounting pressure on him to step down from the party’s top post. They have been blaming him for not leading the party to capitalise on anti-incumbency wave prevailing in the State against the ruling SAD-BJP regime.
Apart from questioning Bajwa for his “huge defeat” including losing from his family bastion Qadian, he is also under fire as the Aam Aadmi Party won four seats in Punjab taking advantage of strong anti-incumbency sentiment against ruling combine, while it was wiped out from all over India. In response, Bajwa has left it on the party high command to decide his fate in the party, while blaming party’s defeat on the infighting within the party leaders.
It has been learnt that Bajwa has met party affairs general secretary in-charge for Punjab Shakeel Ahmed on late Tuesday evening where the former apprised the latter about party leaders’ performance during the election period.
Bajwa has pointed out to Ahmed the “indisciplined act” by some of the party MlAs who ignored their own constituencies, and focused on others - clearly indicating at several legislators who campaigned for Capt Amarinder in Amritsar.
Coming out with a word of caution for such “indisciplined” leaders, State in-charge has asked the disciplinary committee to act against them if they continue to do so.
Sources told The Pioneer that Ahmed has “personally” called several leaders, who have been raising their voice against Bajwa, asking them not to go public about their resentment and put forward their issued before the party.
The party has also decided to carryout a postmortem of the ‘fatal’ poll results for the Congress, and has decided to set up a five-member committee of senior party leaders from outside Punjab for the purpose.
“We are not considering to change the State leadership...we want to find out why we faired badly in elections, and what are the reasons for this. We would set up a committee for the purpose, and any decision would be taken only after it submits its report,” said Shakeel Ahmed.
Congress, which was eyeing 10 out of 13 seats in Punjab, has managed to won only three seats, against its previous tally of eight. On the other hand, party’s State vice-president Brahm Mohindra has called for truce between the rivals within to prevent repetition of such incidents. “Congress has seen a worst ever defeat. It’s not a time for blame game and to fight, but it’s time to get united,” said Mohindra.
Admitting the “collective failure” to propagate UPA’s achievements and highlight Akali’s misrule, he said that all this led to rise of Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab.
He asked the two factions, led by the former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Bajwa, to put extra effort to fight the crisis, and advising Capt Amarinder to show leadership and ask his group members to call an immediate truce.