On the verge of announcing a restructured Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee led by a new president, the Congress high command on Saturday put off the decision “for a few more days” after consensus eluded the State unit.
Sources in the party said the high command failed to cobble together support from the factions for its choice of senior party leader Ambika Soni to lead the Punjab Congress. The party fancies a turnaround in its fortunes with a possible win in the State Assembly elections scheduled for early 2017.
Yet, Punjab remains a State, where the Congress has seen constant bickering among its State unit leaders including the former Chief Ministers Amarinder Singh and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and also the current State unit chief Partap Singh Bajwa, the first State unit chief handpicked by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
Earlier this week saw a string of meetings between Punjab leaders and Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the vice-president. Capt. Singh, who is camping in Delhi since Friday, is expected to meet Ms. Gandhi on Monday. He has already conveyed his displeasure over the choice of Ms. Soni as the State unit president. While he was not available for comment, a source close to him said: “There is no point in agreeing to something the people won’t accept.”
However, a senior leader in New Delhi said: “We will soon be able to iron out the differences.” He said the party leadership expects Capt. Singh to come around after his demand for removal of Mr. Bajwa has been met. “Capt. Singh will be projected as chief ministerial candidate and become the chief of the campaign committee,” the leader said. While both the State leaders have said they will abide by what the high command decides, Mr. Bajwa too is learnt to be unhappy over the choice of Ms. Soni. A local leader from his camp said Ms. Soni is perceived in Punjab as a “rank outsider.”
