Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is making the most of the resentment amidst the Congress cadre, especially over the list of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) office bearers.
Even as the Congress high command had put the boiling issue on the backburner by constituting a committee to look into, the blue-brigade, in a double-pronged attack, is strengthening its party base by bringing in its fold “disgruntled” Congress leaders not too happy with their “new” position and role in the party.
With the two recent inductions of the senior Congress leaders in the Akali Dal, besides a sitting legislator, the ruling party is all set to make another big grabs at Punjab Congress in the run up to lok Sabha polls. The latest addition in the party was made on Sunday with Congress’ former two-time legislator and ex-Minister Isher Singh Meharban shifting his loyalties towards the Akali Dal along with his supporters after 35-year of “selfless” service in the Congress.
Meharban had voiced his resentment over the list of PPCC office bearers and resigned from the post of state executive member in protest of giving high posts to those who worked against the party. Two-time MlA from Kum Kalan, he lost 2012 Assembly elections from Jagraon seat to Akali Dal’s SR Kler by a margin of less than 280 votes. Unhappy with the ways the State Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa is running the party, and their concerns were not addressed, Meharban decided to quit the party. Being the party’s in-charge for Jagraon unit, the former Congressman has sizeable pockets of influence in ludhiana district.
Earlier, Congress’ another former Minister Malkiat Singh Birmi, who also hails from ludhiana district, has joined Akali Dal. Birmi also resigned from his PPCC post as a mark of protest for ignoring the “deserving” leaders. The simmering discontentment within Congress, from the time it lost 2012 State Assembly polls coupled with the displeasure over the PPCC list, seems to have reached its flashpoint with an exodus of sorts continued towards the ruling alliance since then. In fact, SAD is taking advantage of disgruntled leaders in the Congress.
To resolve the issues arising out of PPCC list, the Congress high command had, on January 7, constituted a four-member panel under the chairmanship of party’s MP and special invitee of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) Mohinder Singh Kaypee. Asked to submit its report within one month, the committee is taking its time leading in departure of disgruntled leaders to the SAD. The deviation from the party is continuing at a time when the Congress is making attempts to consolidate its position in the state ahead April 30 parliamentary polls. Ever since the SAD-BJP coalition’s record victory during 2012 polls, in all, around 25 senior leaders have hopped on to the political wagon for joining SAD.
Amongst the Congress’s turncoats are sitting Moga legislator Joginder Pal Jain, close aide of Union Minister for State of External Affairs Preneet Kaur, Deepinder Singh Dhillon, former Congress legislator Mangat Rai Bansal, former Minister Avtar Singh Brar among many others. Many of them have been rewarded with plum postings. Only recently, Congress sitting MlA from Talwandi Sabo Jeet Mohinder Sidhu too left the party to join the SAD. With such a large number of influx of leaders from other parties, the SAD is having a problem of plenty, and in the process is losing out on its victories over them. Moreover, the situation is creating resentment among the SAD cadre.
Denying the same, party president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal maintained that every decision in the party is taken “by taking everyone concerned in to confidence”. “I consult my cadre first, take all the related leaders and party workers from that particular region along and into confidence before taking any decision on inducting people from other parties,” said Sukhbir.
SAD also have some more leaders — those who are not happy with the PPCC list, on its radar, including two-time MlA from Mehal Kalan assembly constituency in Barnala Harchand Kaur, Dhuri MlA Arvind Khanna, Bhadaur MlA Mohammad Sadique — though Capt Amarinder has outrightly rejected the reports. later, another Congress leader Rajbir Singh Padiala who wields influence in Kharar region, also joined Akali Dal. Besides, almost all the office bearers of the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) from Mohali district including urban unit chief, rural unit president youth president and member central committee, joined Akali Dal.
Cong chief running away from contesting polls, says Sukhbir
Chandigarh: lashing out at the Congress, SAD president Sukhbir Badal asserted that the party was “demoralised” as several of its leaders, including Union Minister Manish Tewari and State chief Partap Singh Bajwa, “are running away from the electoral battle for lok Sabha”. “How can party functions... Bajwa is running away from contesting lok Sabha polls... How can an army function when its general is not prepared to enter the battlefield,” Sukhbir said.
Taking a jibe at Tewari, he said: “He is running away from contesting polls as he knows Congress leaders, including Ishar Singh, from ludhiana parliamentary constituency are joining Akali Dal.” “You can imagine the kind of moral Congress leaders in Punjab are into...If leaders like Bajwa and Tewari are running away from contesting polls what will be the mindset of Congress workers,” he said.