He came. He heard. And left, without comments. Newly-appointed Punjab Congress’ in-charge of party affairs, Shakeel Ahmed was expected to be more receptive and vocal. After all, he has been the Union Communication Minister and party’s national spokesperson.
But Ahmed, during his first ever visit to the State after assuming the charge of the post, managed to sidetrack all major issues pertaining to Punjab Congress on Sunday, with the exception of making claims of strengthening the party, and revolting against the Badal Government in the state —alike his precursors.
At a time when the Punjab Congress is passing through its worst period facing one defeat after another in back-to-back elections, Ahmed’s strategy of being a ‘good listener’ failed to impress the ‘dispirited’ party cadres. For all that, the expectations of bringing a much-needed transformation in the party’s dwindling fortunes in the state came along with his appointment. MP from Bihar’s Madhubani constituency, Ahmed could not come out with any clear cut answers to the media queries on ongoing factionalism within party, ways to strengthen party in State, among other issues. He maintained that it was “too early” for him to comment on the political atmosphere prevailing in the State.
Ahmed had hours long meeting with the State Congress leaders including all MPs, legislators, district and block presidents at Congress Bhawan. The aim of his visit was to galvanise the party’s disheartened rank and file to build up a sustained campaign to counter the excesses committed by the ruling SAD-BJP regime on the people of the state.
Also, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary, Ahmed said there was a need of a continuous movement against SAD-BJP combine as all the party workers had submitted that injustices, being meted out by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal-led Government, should be brought before the people. During his meeting, Ahmed called upon the cadres to uproot the Government and liberate people from a “corrupt and incompetent” regime. “The party would make people aware and protest against the anti-people policies of the State government. We would also attract Centre’s attention towards this,,” he said. Maintaining that Congress’ defeat in 2012 Assembly elections was shocking and rather “against expectations”, Ahmed asked the party cadres to take revenge from the SAD-BJP for their defeat in the ensuing 2012 parliamentary elections. Sending across the message that the party was, as of now, down but not out, he said party bagged eight lok Sabha seats in 2009 after facing defeat in 2007 elections. “We are targeting to make a clean sweep this time by bagging all 13 seats,” he added.
On factionalism within party Maintaining a strategic silence on the issue of two power centres in the Punjab Congress — one state party chief Partap Singh Bajwa and second Capt Amarinder Singh, Ahmed said nothing of that sort has come in his notice.
“Nothing like this has come to my notice in the meeting…though I have read in media. It may happen that leaders have different some communication gaps, differences in perception on a particular subject. We are here to clear all that.”
On “absentee” leaders Virtually defending the “absentee” MlAs from his “first meeting,” Ahmed indicated that he has given priority to the constituency commitments over such meetings and those MlAs who did not attend probably had prior constituency commitments. Chipping in, State party chief Partap Singh Bajwa was quick to add that except a handful, all MlAs were present during the meeting. Ahmed said that Capt Amarinder Singh was not in the state, and former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was indisposed due to the demise of her mother-in-law.
In attendance are the Union Ministers — Preneet Kaur, Manish Tewari and Santosh Chaudhary, AICC general secretary Harish Chaudhary, Congress legislative Party leader Sunil Jakhar, among others.
`2.50 lakh cheque for Tarn Taran police assault victim
In a humanitarian gesture, Punjab Congress MlAs have donated `2.50 lakh to the Dalit girl assaulted by the Punjab police cops in full public view in Tarn Taran. The amount was the sum of Congress legislators’ daily allowance during the previous Budget assembly session they boycotted, and hold parallel assembly sessions. On behalf of the PPCC, Ahmed presented a cheque of `2.50 lakh to Jaswinder Kaur view.