With the crucial Lok Sabha polls just a few months away, Punjab Congress is all set to witness a change of guard soon.
Aimed at giving a fresh start to the party in some of the states while ending infighting in others, the Congress high command has started the process of searching the new state presidents in five states, including Punjab.
Besides Punjab, the party may also appoint new Pradesh Congress Committee presidents in the neighbouring states of Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh along with Mumbai.
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, who is also Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur, is set to seek re-election in the ensuing 2019 Lok Sabha polls. “After his election as MP from Gurdaspur, Jakhar has been juggling between two roles — that of the state party chief and an MP — which has, at least to some extent, affected the party in Punjab,” a senior Congress leader requesting anonymity told The Pioneer, while confirming that he may soon be replaced. However, at the same time, the leader maintained that Jakhar has been effective in his role as state unit president, and has worked as a bridge between the party and the government. The leader submitted that for parliamentary polls, scheduled for the next year, a full-time active state president is what the party need to lead from the front, and if Jakhar wanted to re-contest from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat, he would not be able to devote much time to the organisational affairs in the state. Notably, the Congress is leaving no stone unturned to return to power, and the new party presidents would be tasked with immediate revival of the organisation position in these states ahead of 2019 polls.
It has been learnt that the announcement for the new Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president would be made by November only. It may also be possible that the party may appoint a working president.
For the coveted post, name of party’s senior Dalit leader and MLA Raj Kumar Verka is doing the rounds. Despite being the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh staunch loyalist, Verka failed to make it to the State Cabinet, which may eventually go in his favour for elevation as the party’s state unit chief.
Verka, MLA from Amritsar (West) constituency, has gone vocal after the Chief Minister failed to give enough representation to the dalit leaders in his council of ministers. He was among the first leaders from Punjab to raise the issue of no or under representation of scheduled or backward class in the State Cabinet with the Congress national president Rahul Gandhi, who had then assured him of “suitably accommodating” him.
Besides Verka, the name of Capt Amarinder’s bête noire and Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa is also under consideration. Gurdaspur’s former MP, Bajwa has served as PPCC president for about two years from 2013 to 2015, before his unceremonious removal by the party high command under pressure from Capt Amarinder camp after the party’s poor show in 2014 parliamentary polls. What may work in favour of Bajwa is his previous performance as state party chief. Bajwa led the party from the front to take on the then SAD-BJP government by horns by initiating a strong agitation against drugs, targeting its leader Bikram Singh Majithia, along with other scams in Parkash Singh Badal government.
But, on the other hand, Capt Amarinder would ensure that Bajwa would not get back the state presidentship as many party leaders are already upset with their own Government on scores of issues.
Capt Amarinder, who is expected to return from his trip from Turkey on Friday, may seek an appointment to meet the party chief Rahul Gandhi to discuss various issues, including the new state president or working president, besides the allegations of sexual harassment against his Cabinet Minister, among others.