Even as the Punjab Congress celebrated the elevation of nine of its legislators as the Cabinet Ministers on Saturday, a few aspirants of ministerial berth, especially the dalits or other backward classes, have raised a banner of revolt against their own party for being left out.
Hours before the new Ministers were to take the oath of office and secrecy, in all three MlAs — Sangat Singh Gilzan, Nathu Ram and Surjit Singh Dhiman — have tendered their resignations from all party posts, while many others have expressed their resentment. There are few others, who are not happy, but are protesting silently.
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar made every possible effort to downplay the upheaval within the party post the much awaited Cabinet expansion.
While Capt Amarinder rubbished all such reports saying that “there’s nothing”, Jakhar maintained that such reaction was natural considering “so many contenders but only nine slots to fill”.
Names of nine new Ministers were announced on Friday after two days of deliberations at Delhi Durbar, and after getting stamp of approval by Congress national president Rahul Gandhi.
It has been alleged by some of the leaders that MlAs from the Scheduled Caste or the other backward classes were ignored during the Cabinet expansion, and Jat-Sikhs were given more than required berths in the Cabinet.
Names of Raj Kumar Verka, and Sangat Singh Gilzian were among the top contenders for the ministerial posts, for belonging to dalit or OBC category, however, both were left out. In fact, the three MlAs, who resigned from party posts in protest, have cited this as the main reason for their move.
The development assumes significance as Punjab has the highest dalit population at about 33 per cent in the country.
Defending his decision, Capt Amarinder said that the Cabinet already has four Dalit Ministers, and another member of the community could not have been accommodated. “Nearly 25 per cent of the State Cabinet is currently being represented by Dalits,” he added.
At the same time, Capt Amarinder categorically rubbished the reports of resentment within the party over selection of the new Cabinet Ministers saying that all issues would be amicably resolved.
He said that adequate representation had been given to all sections and regions, with seniority the key criteria. “There are no swollen faces in the party, as the media chose to call them,” he said after the swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan.
He maintained that the focus had been on striking a regional and caste balance, in order to ensure holistic development of the state.
Capt Amarinder assured that all the Congress MlAs, who had not found place in the Council of Ministers, would be inducted into various Boards and Corporations. “The State has 7,000 jobs, ranging from the Market Committees to the Planning Boards, that can be given to party workers,” he added.
Jakhar, on the other hand, described it as “natural reaction”, while maintaining that the leaders would be given other responsibilities within the party or government.
“People have given us about two-third majority…We have 77 MlAs and such reaction by deserving MlAs is quite natural but we have just nine slots to fill with so many choices…The leaders would be given significant positions or roles in the near future,” said Jakhar while talking with The Pioneer.
SCs/OBCs IGNORED: DISGRUNTlED MlAs
Amargarh MlA Surjit Singh Dhiman, and Balluana MlA Nathu Ram tendered their resignations from party positions to Punjab Congress chief alleging that the party ignored the OBCs and Dalit community respectively.
A day before, senior party MlA from Urmur Sangat Singh Gilzian had also resigned from all party posts in protest on the same issue.
Nathu Ram, who represents the Dalit community, announced that he has resigned as PPCC general secretary, while the resignation of Dhiman, who represents the backward class, was announced by his son Jaswinder Dhiman from the post of PPCC vice-president.
“Dalits are feeling humiliated by being denied a ministerial slot in the cabinet expansion…Dalits account for 34 percent of Punjab population and if we are to consider this percentage, at least five ministers should be Dalits in the Cabinet,” said Nathu Ram, the two-time MlA.
Dhiman’s son maintained that the party had “ignored” the backward classes as not even a single minister belongs to the community in the cabinet. “Out of the backward class population in the state, 14 percent belong to Ramgarhia community. At least one person belonging to the backward community should have been given the post,” he added.
TRADITIONAl FAMIlY IGNORED: KOTlI
Grandson of Punjab’s former Chief Minister Beant Singh and son of former minister Tej Parkash Singh, Khanna MlA Gurkirat Singh Kotli has expressed his unhappiness for ignoring the “old and traditional” families that have won elections for the party.
“Old and traditional families should have been considered for cabinet berth. These are the families that are winning continuously and working hard for the party,” he argued.
WOUlD RAISE ISSUE WITH CM:CHEEMA
Disappointed after Doaba region was not given enough representation in the Cabinet, Sultanpur lodhi MlA Navtej Singh Cheema said that he would raise the issue with the Chief Minister. He pointed that the party picked three ministers from one district but had ignored Doaba.
Cheema, who was confident to find a place in the cabinet, maintained that he could not understand why his name was “dropped at the last moment”.
“I meet all the criteria for becoming a minister but a junior person has been inducted. I fought three elections and won twice,” he said.
Cheema argued that only one ministerial berth has been given to Doaba, that is to Sunder Shan Arora from Hoshiarpur, and that too represents the Kandi area. “The main Doaba region, comprising Jalandhar and Kapurthala, which is known as the NRI belt, is completely ignored,” Cheema said adding that whenever the Congress won seats from the Doaba region, it formed the government.
Gurdaspur has three minister now after the induction of Dera Baba Nanak MlA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, with Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa (Fatehgarh Churian) and Aruna Chaudhary (Dinanagar) already representing the district.
Similarly, Amritsar too is represented by three ministers now with the induction of OP Soni (Amritsar Central) and Sukhbinder Sarkaria (Raja Sansi) as Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar East was already in the Cabinet.