Cong may suffer if it fights polls under Capt: Pargat
: Amid attempts by the Congress leadership to sort out the rift in the state unit, Congress MLA Pargat Singh on Monday said the party’s prospects could take a hit if it goes into the 2022 assembly polls under the leadership of incumbent chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
“There is resentment against the state government among the people. The chief minister should get his own survey done and he will know,” the Jalandhar Cantonment MLA told reporters after a meeting with cabinet ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Charanjit Singh Channi at his official flat here. The state polls are due early next year.
While he downplayed the meeting calling it “routine”, both Randhawa and Channi have been discontented with the chief minister lately. They are among half-a-dozen dissenting leaders, including former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who are trying to regroup.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat has asked the state leaders not to air their grievances in public. Another Congress general secretary KC Venugopal had also on Friday said the party leadership was watching the developments in Punjab and will take a call on the situation.
Pargat also endorsed Amargarh MLA Surjit Singh Dhiman’s call to fellow legislators on Saturday to come together and resign en masse from their seats due to the state government’s failure to fulfil the expectations of the people. “Dhiman did the right thing and others should also speak up,” he said, prodding other MLAs to also come out and express their feelings.
Pargat, who had last week accused the chief minister’s political secretary of making a threat call to him, again spoke in Channi’s defence in the harassment allegation by a woman IAS officer. “The matter is being raked up after a gap of two years without any complaint. Why is a lady officer’s name being dragged in all this now?” he questioned, insinuating attempts to arm twist the minister.
Meanwhile, Punjab Women Commission chairperson Manisha Gulati, who last week threatened to go on hunger strike if the government fails to apprise her of its stand in the harassment allegation against the minster, said the chief minister had called up to assure her that the state government would give its reply soon. “Therefore, I have postponed the protest for now,” she told reporters.
The chairperson said she was not scared of the consequences of taking up the issue and those who were accusing her of acting under the influence of the state government.