TEAM G-23 RAISES BANNER OF REVOLT
Rahul in Kerala as Cong firefights in Punjab Lal Singh may be Punjab Cong chief
The ‘G-23’ dissident leaders of the Congress on Wednesday mounted a scathing attack on the top leadership, with Ghulam Nabi Azad seeking a meeting of the Congress Working Committee and Kapil Sibal lamenting that nobody knew who was taking decisions in the Grand Old Party, as it does not have a President since Sonia Gandhi’s tenure ended.
Azad wrote to Sonia Gandhi, seeking a meeting of the CWC — the party’s highest decision-making body — which Sibal said would give them an opportunity to talk about issues that they cannot raise outside and discuss why the party is “in such a sorry state”.
Addressing a press conference on behalf of the Group of 23, Sibal took a dig at the Gandhis, without taking names, with a sarcastic jibe that all those who were considered close to the family have left; only those, who they do not consider close, are standing by the party.
“We are G-23, not Ji-huzoor 23,” Sibal said in reply to a question on whether they were breaching party discipline by speaking outside the party forum.
The senior party leader said questions ought to be raised as to why people like
NEW DELHI:
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi flew into Kerala on Wednesday morning, even as his party battles a fresh leadership crisis in poll-bound Punjab, where Sidhu resigned on Tuesday as chief of the state unit. Gandhi — a Lok Sabha MP from the southern state — is on a pre-scheduled 1-day visit to Kozhikode and Malappuram, during which he will interact with constituents and inaugurate projects. Source said he is scheduled to return to Delhi on Thursday morning.
Sushmita Dev, Jitin Prasada, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Luizinho Faleiro, among others, have already left the party.
He called for efforts to bring back all those who have left the Congress as it is the only organisation that can take on the Narendra Modi Government. Asked if he wants leaders like NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to return to the Congress-fold, he shot back: “Why not.”
Sibal said that he was speaking on behalf of likeminded Congressmen, who wrote a letter a year ago and are still awaiting elections to the office of Congress president.
“We are not Jee Huzoor-23. It is clear. We will keep talking, reiterating our demands for an elected party president, CWC and a central election committee.’’
The Group of 23 [G-23] includes Azad, Sibal, Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari, among others, who had written to interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi, seeking an early election to the party presidentship and the CWC.
Sibal called for an “open dialogue and consultation” in revamping the Congress as there is an urgent need to understand each other’s point of view on how to strengthen the party organisation.
From a “strokeless wonder” his transformation to a big hitter in the international cricket arena came only after working hard at the nets. It took him months and plenty of sweat.
Unlike Amarinder Singh, Navjot Singh Sidhu’s resignation explanation on his twitter handle on Wednesday provides no hints on his quitting the Congress and joining another party in the season of Aya Ram’s and Gaya Ram’s in Punjab.
“Politics in Punjab has been turned upside down from Sidhu’s appointment as the Congress state chief to his resignation. Every party in the state feels affected. Every party now believes it has a chance to take a shot at the chief minister’s chair in the forthcoming poll,” a senior Congress office-bearer said.
Unlike dethroned Amarinder whose meeting with BJP leader Amit Shah has put all speculation to rest that he will quit the Grand Old Party soon and help piggy-ride the saffron outfit to victory in the forthcoming poll, or float his own outfit and make the BJP its ally, Sidhu has so far not even hinted at resigning from the Congress.
In a message on his twitter handle, Sidhu said that he had fought for justice and Punjab’s agenda for 17 years.
“Today, there is compromise with issues. Tainted officers and ministers who were removed have been brought in again. Those who gave clean chit to the Badals (former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal) are now entrusted with delivering justice,” Sidhu said.
As has been the case with Sidhu since his cricket playing days, he has kept his cards close to his chest. That Amarinder would hobnob with the BJP was an open secret after his removal with his supporters whispering loudly where the “Maharaja” was expected to go.
Apart from close aides, Sidhu continues to keep to himself his next course of action after feeling slighted over the induction of ministers and administrative officers without his approval. Channi n Congress there is no elected president now. Who is taking calls? We don't know who is taking decisions in the party”
hy are people leaving? Maybe we should see whether it is our fault? We have to immediately call a CWC, at least so a dialogue can take place. We won't leave the ideology of the party and go anywhere else. The irony of the Congress is that the chosen ones, those who are close to them (Gandhis) have left and those who they think are not close to them are still there.”
has offered to hear Sidhu out of his ire, but has so far been met with stoic silence.
Will Sidhu join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and project Sidhu as its chief ministerial candidate? AAP sources said the step would be suicidal for the party.
“The Sidhu drama is there for every Punjabi to see and the tussle in the Congress has become an issue for every party to encash during the poll. The party could also split,” an AAP leader remarked.
Interestingly, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal is on a two-day visit to Punjab and is yet to announce the chief ministerial candidate of his party.
Some Congressmen, however, feel that things would be sorted out sooner than later with Sidhu and a new state chief would be appointed.
“The Congress has braved many a storm in the country. The old must give way to the young. The churning taking place in the party will end soon to the satisfaction of all concerned,” a young Congress leader in the making, said with optimism. — CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI LOYALIST
As Congress is looking for a new state president in Punjab in case Navjot Singh Sidhu does not relent, the likely replacement for the post could be 6-time MLA Lal Singh, the former finance minister of Punjab who held several government and organisational posts earlier, sources said. He is considered close to former CM Amarinder Singh, while the party is mulling on other names as well, one is Manish Tewari, the MP from Anandpur Sahib. Names of Ravneet Singh Bittu, Ludhiana MP and from Amarinder Singh’s camp and Pratap Singh Bajwa, who is opposed to Amarinder, are also doing the rounds. Former PCC President Sunil Jakhar who missed the CM’s post in the rejig is likely to be considered.
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