In the run-up to the 2014 parliamentary polls, the “astray” Punjab Congress seems to be moving in all directions.Bogged down by a series of defeats, it first appointed Gurdaspur Member of Parliament Partap Singh Bajwa as the State party chief.
Then the party made it clear that his predecessor Capt Amarinder Singh was to be gradually shifted from State to national politics by appointing him as permanent invitee of the Congress Working Committee.
The party now seems to have taken u-turn and has, supposedly, asked the former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to catch hold of the reins in the State again.
Political observers believed that confusion in the party over the top leadership will not only sent currents of uncertainty down the party cadre, but also create additional power centers.
Already, the State Congress unit is marred by factionalism and dissension among the party cadre that has even cost the party back-to-back defeats in five consecutive elections. Failing to learn lessons from its past mistakes, the Congress leadership stands divided.
Two power centers have emerged within the party, one headed by State unit president Bajwa, and another by Capt Amarinder, with their own set of loyalists, after the Congress leadership at New Delhi reposed trust in Capt Amarinder’s abilities by appointing him as member of all-powerful CWC.
State Pradesh Congress Committee president, Bajwa however denied the two power center theory. “There is nothing like the State Congress has two power centers. Both the CWC member and the PPCC president have equal position…their roles are defined…and there is no difference in their hierarchy.”
Relegated to a position where she has been playing a second fiddle since long, former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal too kept on asserting herself, and her ambitions to become the Chief Minister again is an open secret.
The importance the party gave to Bajwa in the recent past has also led to the projection of his name as the next Chief Ministerial candidate, though elections are almost four years away. Only recently, Capt Amarinder’s former aide, Chaudhary Jagjit Singh—a former minister, minced no words to declare that Bajwa would be the next chief minister of Punjab.
Under these circumstances, any move to take the reins away from Bajwa may backfire, and harm the party as he too has his own set of loyalists on the Congress.
What is more, the party high command has not given Bajwa a complete free hand, and clipped his wings with the appointment of four Vice Presidents to assist him. He was also left red-faced when his first two appointments as the party head were turned down by the party high command.
Considering that the Congress has since long been indulging in fatal infighting, it seems to have dug its own grave while struggling for survival in the State after a series of growling defeats.
The recent developments are signaling that the Patiala Royal still has a long way to go on the political road. In fact, the party high command is planning to give Capt Amarinder more responsibility in the state party unit ahead of the crucial lok Sabha polls scheduled to be held in 2014.
To substantiate the same, back in action after a lull, Capt Amarinder has recently questioned Bajwa’s authority to announce the candidates for the impending lok Sabha polls.
Besides, the Maharaja on Sunday flexed his muscles by indulging in lunch diplomacy. He invited the Congress sitting and former MlAs, district presidents and Youth Congress and NSUI leaders for a luncheon meeting at his Chandigarh residence.
If this is not enough, Capt Amarinder has already announced to tour the entire state in September with the sole aim to “strengthen the party” — at a time when his successor Bajwa is already carrying out his ‘mass contact programme’.
As the fight for superiority and command is far from over between the state party leadership, it may sound death knell for the Congress party ahead 2014 lok Sabha polls, just like the State Assembly Polls, and others that followed.