After a loss of face for the Congress in the recent Assembly elections, the internal squabbling within Punjab and once again in Rajasthan State unit, in the midst of pandemic has drawn huge concern to the high command as in both the States the party is in power.
AICC sources said that Congress President Sonia Gandhi has asked former party chief Rahul Gandhi to handle the matter who during the next few days will be interacting one to one with each MLAs from both the States, which is likely to be first of its kind efforts from Rahul or Sonia.
To iron out the differences in Punjab Congress and Government, sources said Rahul will be conducting one-on-one meeting with State Ministers, MLAs and MPs over the next few days. As per the plan beginning with Punjab, the former party chief who has faced severe criticism for loosing elections after elections, will schedule to meet on virtual mode atleast 15 party leaders each day.
Sources said after the Punjab leaders declined to meet Harish Rawat on a digital platform, he is scheduled to visit the State hold initial talks with the dissident leaders.
The other issue on agenda of Rahul meeting, is to sort out the differences between Sidhu and CM as the former continue with his criticism of the latter through social media. In one of his message on Twitter, Sidhu also urged the MLAs and party work to apprise the party high command about the problems persisting within Amarinder
Sonia too has been in constant touch with Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh enquiring about state politics and the pandemic together, sources said.
While the factionalism led by Navjot Singh Sidhu continues, some of the party leaders are annoyed with the CM over the delay in giving justice to the families of the Kotakpura police firing incidents.
"The adverse high court judgment on the Kotkapura police firing cases has created a crisis in the party. The party high command is working out a formula to make the CM take on the perpetrators of the police firing case,” said a party MLA over phone to The Pioneer.
Punjab Congress chief Sunil Kumar Jakhar on Thursday cautioned party workers stating that the party high command was watching and he mentioned that there are few leaders who were always trying to seek opportunities in crisis (like pandemic) or by creating a crisis.
While in Rajasthan the immediate worry is the resignation of party MLA Hemaram Choudhary, a sharp critic of Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, and pro Sachin Pilot camp, cause of concern in Punjab which will go for assembly polls next year is the huge rift between various factions.
Rahul is scheduled to conduct the meeting one virtual mode as per his health condition since he is recovering from post covid and the sources said the meeting has been necessitated after Punjab MLAs declined to meet the State Incharge senior party leader Harish Rawat.
Choudhary resignation though is yet to be accepted by Rajasthan assembly Speaker CP Joshi and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot but he mentioned that he will speak on the reasons that led to his quitting the assembly once it is accepted. This is second time resignation by Choudhary after Congress came to power in 2018.
Hemaram Choudhary is a six-time MLA from Gudamalani in the Barmer district and was among the 19 MLAs who rebelled against Ashok Gehlot last year same time when the then Deputy CM Sachin Pilot had revolted and threatened to exit from the Gehlot government. The situation continued for almost two months untill a peace was brokered between Gehlot and Pilot by Sonia, Rahul and his sibling and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi.
Before Rahul to reach him to pacify so that the Gehlot government is once again not on the verge of a collapsed at the hands of BJP, Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasara has made efforts to reach out to Choudhary and assured the party leaders that he would be able to convince him to withdraw the resignation letter.
“Hemaram is a senior and respected leader of our party. I have spoken to him after the information about his resignation as MLA. This is a family matter, it will be resolved soon,” Dotasara tweeted.
This is the second time since his election in the December 2018 state polls that Hemaram Choudhary has sent across his resignation letter. He had first resigned in 2019 during the first session of the reconstituted assembly, reportedly because he was miffed that Gehlot did not induct him into his council of ministers.
Hemaram Chaudhary, who was revenue minister in Gehlot’s cabinet in 2008-2013, had offered to quit before the 2013 elections over differences with another MLA.
While AICC leaders ruled out any rebellion brewing up again in Rajasthan politics, the BJP which has been eyeing to wrest power from Gehlot after engineering a successful attempt in Madhya Pradesh last year following the exit of Jyotiraditya Scindia, the BJP said Hemaram Choudhary’s resignation letter reflected that there was no internal democracy within the Congress.