Chasm within Punjab Congress seems to widening with the state leadership and the former state party president Navjot Singh Sidhu not being seen on the same page ahead of the upcoming General Election, which is just about three months away. A report by Rajesh Moudgil
The top Congress leaders in Punjab have two daunting challenges at a time when the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are just about three months away. It has to fight the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on one hand and the factionalism within, led by former party chief Navjot Sidhu, on the other.
Sample this: The last few days saw the state leaders including state chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, state in-charge Devender Yadav and the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa holding deliberations with leaders and the workers of some of the Lok Sabha seats about the preparations for the upcoming polls – in different parts of the state. These meets, like several party programmes, were skipped by Sidhu.
It may be recalled that Sidhu and state leadership have, for long, been engaged in a bitter war of words. However, since the polls are due in May, such a situation is set to harm the party immensely, if allowed to continue.
At such meetings in Patiala and Sangrur, the fissures came out in open when Warring was asked by the newspersons about Sidhu’s absence from party events. Warring in a veiled attack on Sidhu said that now anyone thinking himself to be above party, wouldn’t get notice, he would be straightway shown the door.F
“Focussing solely on individual interests hinders the prosperity of the party. It is imperative to prioritise the party’s interests above all else. Together, we are stronger than when standing alone”, he said.
Warring had also written to the party high command in the past including the post-Moga rally held by Sidhu without his consent. On another occasion, a war of words was also witnessed at a party meeting.
Earlier, several party leaders had openly rued that Sidhu seemed to blow his own trumpet while holding his “solo shows’’.
Sidhu’s ‘darkest phase’ jibe
Sidhu, on the other hand, in a veiled attack on the state leaders held that many honest and senior party leaders in the state had been sidelined and people of no political stature were trying to call the shots which weakened the party.
