On the verge of elections, the ruling Punjab Congress is still fighting among themselves. The party’s top leadership is totally out of sync, with the state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu refusing to take a softer line against his own party’s Government.
It seems, in his aspiration to occupy the Chief Minister’s chair, Sidhu is actually hurting his own party rather than doing any good. On late Sunday evening, a meeting was held between Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Sidhu, also attended by Cabinet Minister and Channi’s close aide Manpreet Singh Badal, Campaign Committee chairperson Sunil Jakhar, and the state party affairs’ in-charge Harish Choudhary, to “once again” make an effort to bring the two leaders on the same page.
Sources informed The Pioneer that the meeting was held on the directions of the Congress national vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who is on a personal visit to Italy.
It has been learnt that Sidhu, during the campaign committee meeting, had given enough indications that he would not be campaigning for the party if the former cricketer was not declared party’s Chief Ministerial candidate.
Reliable sources maintained that Sidhu had even gone on to say that the party should ask those leaders to campaign whose posters have been pasted across the state — apparently referring towards Channi.
Notably, Sidhu has all along been making it clear that he did not want to be just a “darshani ghoda” (a decorated horse) or a showpiece. “In politics, a good man is made a show piece. He is used as a pawn to win the election. After all the campaigning and winning elections, he was kept aside as a showpiece. Now, I will not be anyone's showpiece or pawn,” Sidhu had said in a gathering the previous month.
Sidhu’s statement comes as the senior party leaders — Ministers and a parliamentarian — had advised the cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu to learn the Congress party’s culture and ethics.
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Cabinet Ministers Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Rana Gurjit Singh, and Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu have asked Sidhu to learn the party’s culture before raising any demand.
The Congress leaders maintained that declaring candidates from the stage, announcing the CM candidate, putting “I” before “us” or the party — is not the Congress’ culture.
CONG DOESN’T DECLARE CANDIDATE FROM STAGE: RANDHAWA
Randhawa maintained that the candidates were not declared from the stage in the Congress party. “Here, the screening committee first sends the panel and then the high command releases the list. Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party definitely do this, but they also release the list later. So, Sidhu should learn the methods of working of the Congress party,” he said.
Notably, Sidhu has all along been backing the candidatures of the party leaders while addressing gatherings.
SIDHU RUINING GOVT’S PERFORMANCE: ASHU
The state’s Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, taking a dig at Sidhu, said that the Chief Minister and the Ministers were working for 18 hours in a day. “In three months, those works have been done which were not done in the last four and a half years. Despite this, Sidhu is making contrary statements against the Government, because of which, all the efforts are being wasted,” he said.
Mincing no words, Ashu even asked Sidhu to leave the party if he thinks that all is not well here. At the same time, he also demanded from the Congress high command to discipline Sidhu.
RANDHAWA OFFERS TO LEAVE HOME MINISTRY
With Sidhu continuing to target Charanjit Singh Channi led Punjab Government over the issue of arresting SAD leader Bikram Majithia, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has now offered to “leave” the Home Ministry.
Describing Sidhu as “over ambitious”, Randhawa said that since the day he was allotted the Home portfolio, Sidhu is not happy.
Sidhu has all along been taking on the State Government, especially the Chief Minister and his deputy Randhawa, for their failure to arrest Majithia, after he was booked in a drugs case. In fact, Sidhu has been “indirectly” patting his own back by claiming that he ensured FIR against Majithia by ensuring impeccable and suitable persons on the posts of Advocate-General and the state police chief.
Randhawa, in an interview to a television news channel, maintained that the police registered the drugs case against Majithia “as per law”. “But, Sidhu’s public statements that he got the case registered against Majithia is sending a message of vendetta, which is wrong,” he added.
CM IS DULHA, ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS: RANDHAWA
On Sidhu’s demand to declare the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate maintaining that the people will ask where is dulha, Randhawa said that at present, our Chief Minister Charanjit Channi is the dulha.
“Who will be the Chief Minister after polls, that the MLAs will decide. There is no tradition in the Congress party to announce names like this. And the rest, Congress’ Punjab in-charge Harish Chaudhary can tell,” he said.
Randhawa, addressing Sidhu, said that he should know that the party is always bigger than an individual. “And in the Congress party, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president has a bigger status than the Chief Minister. Sidhu’s ambitions are very high. But he should learn the culture of Congress,” he added.