Rahul to visit Punjab again this month

Monday, 15/10/2012

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121015/punjab.htm#2

Chandigarh : Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi will visit Punjab again this month to complete the exercise to ascertain the reasons for the party’s assembly poll debacle. Meanwhile, there is enough feedback to indicate that the defeat at the hustings was on account of collective failure rather than that of Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh alone.

Sources here said AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi was keen to pinpoint the exact reasons for the party’s debacle and initiate appropriate action. And this did not necessarily mean a change in leadership in Punjab.

If highly placed sources are to be believed, the party high command continues to support the PCC chief. Amarinder has proved his standing in the party by claiming the support of as many as 33 legislators. Now, with some fence-sitters also backing him, it is a clear indication to the dissidents that there is no clear alternative to Amarinder.

Congress sources said the support by the legislators as well as a large section of the party’s senior leadership has negated the discontentment expressed by some former Pradesh Congress as well as district presidents during their interaction with Rahul. Congress observers say that these former Pradesh Congress president’s opposing Amarinder are no longer politically relevant in the state.

Congress Legislature Party Leader Sunil Jakhar said in his personal view, if there was any discontent in the party, it should be addressed. He said Rahul was doing just that, adding that the Congress general secretary wanted to address the discontentment rather than quell dissidence with a diktat. Asked how this could be achieved, he said various formulae, like appointing leaders as in charge of specific areas, was being considered by the party high command.

Capt Amarinder said he had earlier recommended appointing five vice-presidents with two for east and west Malwa and two for the Majha and Doaba belts. One vice-president could look after the party office in Chandigarh. However, it was all up to the party high command, he said.

The sources said that the feedback being collected by Rahul into the reasons for the poll debacle were not likely to be too different from that submitted by the PCC chief to the Congress president in March this year.There was no question of putting the blame on the PCC chief when the party high command had over-ruled his recoomendations on 30 seats, they said. Six seats were given to the youth on Rahul Gandhi’s initiative but the party could win only two of these seats.

During Rahul’s two-day visit to Punjab, there had been complaints about Amarinder’s style of functioning. But the party cadre also highlighted the facts which were stated by the PCC chief in his report to the party president.

These include late selection of candidates, shifting away of the Dalit vote and the damage inflicted by some Congress rebels at the instance of the Akalis.