Punjab Cong struggles to keep its flock together
A slew of party leaders, including some MLAs, seem set to desert party.
The faction-ridden Punjab unit of the Congress is struggling to keep its flock together and there are strong indications that of many of its leaders are planning to leave the party. The Shiromani Akali Dal president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal rubbed it in when he claimed that a large number of Congress legislators and senior leaders are ready to join the SAD. Calling the Congress a sinking ship in Punjab, Badal said that the SAD has now a problem of plenty.
Senior Congress leader Harnek Singh Gharuan, who was a minister in the Harcharan Singh Brar-led Congress government in 1990s, joined the Akali Dal few days ago. He is influential in the Anandpur Sahib parliamentary constituency, currently being represented by the Congress’ Ravneet Singh Bittu.
Political circles have been abuzz with speculation of Congress MLAs Arvind Khanna, Harchand Kaur and Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria following suit. Arvind Khanna, who is considered close to former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and is also his relative, has denied having any plans to join the SAD. Khanna represents Dhuri, which comes under Sangrur parliamentary constituency, and is not on very good terms with the MP, Vijayinder Singla.
Arvind Khanna camp also claims support of Harchand Kaur, the first-time Congress MLA from the reserved seat of Mehal Kalan, also a part of Sangrur Parliamentary constituency. She got generous support from him in her Assembly campaign. She was included last year as a non-official member by the SAD-Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state advisory committees for the transport, legal, legislative affairs, elections, employment generation and training departments.
The Congress MLA from Rajasansi, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, has been in the crosshairs of the state Congress since he shot off a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi, calling for the replacement of state unit head Partap Singh Bajwa. Senior Congress leaders have demanded his expulsion, alleging that his move was part of a conspiracy by vested interests to harm the party in the Lok Sabha elections.
Krishan Kumar Bawa, a senior Congress leader in Ludhiana and former district president of the party, had a meeting with Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Ludhiana, H.S. Phoolka. This set off speculations about him joining the AAP. The disgruntled leader had earlier resigned from the Film Censor Board and the Telephone Advisory Board to protest against his name not being included in the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee office-bearers’ list.