The report was submitted last week suggesting a revamp of the state unit to accommodate all sections. A war of nerves is going on between Chief Minister, Capt.Amarinder Singh and dissident leader Navjot Singh Sidhu. The infighting has reached its crescendo after warring factions launched poster wars against each-others.
Some posters and hoarding appeared in Patiala, the home constituency of Chief Minister. Along with Sidhu’s photo on the hoarding, it carried a slogan ‘Saara Punjab Sidhu de naal, kisan di awaaz. Punjab mangda hai Guru di beadbi da hisab (Punjab stands with Sidhu and is seeking answers for the lapses in the probe into sacrilege cases)’.
Posters and hoardings also appeared in Ludhiana and Amritsar in support of Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh.These were titled ‘Punjab Da Ik Hi Captain’ with the hashtag ‘Captain for 2022’.(‘There is only one Captain. Our Slogan Captain again’, says another hoarding in Patiala".
Infighting and factionalism is very common in Congress and is more discernible whenever elections are near. It may be recalled that senior party colleague Rajinder Kaur Bhattal led a revolt against Capt. Amrinder Singh in 2007, Capt, was then also heading the Congress govt in the state. .Bhattal remained Punjab Chief Minister from 21 November 1996 to 11 February 1997.
In fact, Congress had to bite the dust in 2007 assembly elections primarily because party in the state was sharply divided between two power centers - Capt Amarinder Singh and former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.
Even before Amarinder Singh led the Congress to power in February 2002, senior party colleague Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was his favourite target.
It was alleged by the Rajinder Kaur Bhattal that chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh did all it takes to keep his arch rival and cabinet colleague in the doghouse - denying tickets to Bhattal loyalists, patronising her rivals in her home turf and finally putting her in the dock in a criminal case of embezzlement of official funds.
Worse, despite Amarinder even getting Bhattal to tie a rakhi on his wrist to send out a signal of a patch-up,Capt is a man not the one to forgive easily.
Taking a cue from the fate of Bhattal, Navjot Sidhu could sense how Capt. is out to finish him politically. Sidhu had quit as a minister from the Punjab cabinet in 2019 after his portfolio was changed. He has been openly targeting Amarinder Singh, much to the discomfort of the Congress.
Its time Punjab Congress ends its infighting and focus on how to face assembly elections unitedly. Otherwise, history is set to repeat itself.
(Chander Sharma)
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