Bajwa opens front against Captain, asks him to overhaul governance
RETURN OF DISSENT Cong MP asks CM to decentralise power, trust MLAS over babus
CHANDIGARH: In the first public articulation of dissent against the 10-month-old Captain Amarinder Singh government, Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday said the party workers are “feeling neglected and disillusioned”and called upon the chief minister to overhaul the ministerial cabinet and administration to restore their morale.
“The ouster of Rana Gurjit Singh and Suresh Kumar is a wake-up call. Chief minister needs to get his act together,” Bajwa told Hindustan Times in an interview on Saturday, signalling the revival of his acrimonious equation with Amarinder who had replaced the Majha chieftain as state Congress chief in November 2015 after a bitter factional fight.”
Stating that Rana’s resignation over the sand mine auction scandal had dented the government’s image, Bajwa said the party high command had to finally step in to stop the damage.
Demanding an annual appraisal of Amarinder’s minis- ters, the Rajya Sabha MP said the non-performers should be dropped while the first-timers should be given a chance and groomed for governance.
Scathing in his criticism of functioning of the state government, Bajwa wanted the Captain to do away with his OSDS and many advisers. “He needs to overhaul the civil, police and legal teams.” Asking Amarinder to give up 34 portfolios with him, Bajwa said: “Why can’t the CM induct more ministers, including first-timers who can be groomed as deputy ministers?” He said all constitutional and other positions were being bestowed upon “favourites and friends” and not Congressmen. “Yes. 110%” was his terse answer when asked whether he was articulating the sentiments of other Congress leaders.