Amidst pressure tactics by former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to remove Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa from the top post, the party high command has called the latter for a meeting in Delhi.
Sources maintained that the party high command wanted to settle the ongoing leadership tussle between the senior leaders in Punjab with the sole aim of keep together its flock ahead the crucial 2017 state assembly polls.
The Congress is eyeing Punjab as a pedestal to stage a winning comeback in politics, after a series of defeats it had faced in many states, and also at the national level. With Punjab being among the first states to witness state assembly polls, the party is banking on the wave against the ruling SAD-BJP coalition in the state and also anti-incumbency against the BJP at Centre.
learning little lessons from the past, the party high command is presently taking on priority the issue to sort out the internal strife and leadership issue in the state party unit. The infighting has emerged as the one of the major reason for party’s unsuccessful run in the state’s electoral politics despite favorable conditions.
With the Patiala Royal refusing to subside and insisting on Bajwa’s removal, the party high command is expected to take the final call in the coming days. Sources said the party high command is chalking out a “middle way” to keep both the leaders happy by giving some set of powers to both or appoint a neutral leader as PPCC chief.
To discuss things, it has, once again, called Bajwa for meeting in the national capital, reportedly on June 20. Bajwa had recently met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on June 4, following which, Capt Amarinder had also met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul on June 8.
“The party high command wanted to settle the leadership issue once and for all. For that, I believe, Bajwa has been called for a meeting. Though the day is yet to be finalized, the meeting was scheduled on June 20 for now. Regarding the agenda or the issues to be discussed have not been disclosed yet,” Bajwa’s close aide informed The Pioneer.
Bajwa camp was upbeat after his previous meeting with the young Gandhi scion on June 4, as Rahul assured the PPCC chief to participate in his proposed padyatra (foot march) against the SAD-BJP government from October 2.
Bajwa, who had presented his report card of the works done by him during his tenure as party president and its success rate, had claimed that Rahul Gandhi has asked him to continue his work — a development which Bajwa and Co has been interpreting as an indication that he is here to stay as state party president.
It has been learnt that the party high command had offered Capt Amarinder to head the campaign committee for the 2017 polls, virtually making him the chief ministerial candidate for the next elections, which he had categorically refused saying that he could not work with Bajwa.
In an apparent attempt to pressurize the party high command, Capt Amarinder, on Tuesday, organized a luncheon, attended by more than 25 sitting MlAs, and seven former legislators, and announced his plans to start mass contact programme and rallies.Bajwa, on the other hand, is already organizing his mass contact programmes in reserved constituencies.
Rumours are that Congress Deputy leader in the lok Sabha may also float his new party, is the high command refused to accept his demands. However, loosing a leader like Capt Amarinder in Punjab would be too hot to handle for the Congress.
The Congress party is primarily making every possible effort to consolidate its position in the state considering the anti-government wave over the multiple issues of drugs, law and order, farmers’ issues, among others.
Besides strengthening its base, the party is eyeing to win back its lost vote-bank of the Dalit community.Other than the internal bickering, the presence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is also giving sleepless nights to the Congress high command, which did not want to go the chance of coming back to power in the State.