Cong committee to be announced after Rajasthan elections

Sunday, 24/11/2013

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20131124/punjab.htm#7

The faction-ridden Punjab Congress is all set for an overhaul with the party high command being in the process of reconstituting its executive committee.

The list comprising new vice-presidents, general secretaries and secretaries is said to have been approved by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and is expected to be released once electioneering in Rajasthan is over.

Sources said the high command had asked Punjab leaders representing different factions in the state to give priority-wise list to the party office-bearers in the Capital.

“All the leaders were asked to send their list of priority for names. Wide-ranging discussions on the committee’s constitution have been held. Not only have the leaders been engaged, even the ground-level workers in Punjab have been consulted. The list will be remembered for the fact that it gives place to genuine Congress workers who may not have any top state leader’s blessings,” a Congress leader privy to the process told The Tribune.

Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi had made it clear to Punjab Congress leaders in the three monthly review meetings — the last one happened earlier this month — that young leaders with the potential of being future leaders must be incorporated in the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) list to send clear signals that the party cared for those who work.

“Top state leaders have sent their lists but the Congress will send a message through the new PPCC list that the high command maintains its own parallel data base of ground-level workers. There will be surprises in the committee and state’s young leaders can expect to gain,” said a top source.

Congress general secretary in charge of Punjab Shakeel Ahmed admitted that the list had been approved by the party high command. “We have spoken to all leaders in the state and ensured that everyone with a utility for the party is included. Our effort is to project a united front in the state and the new committee will reflect that,” Ahmed said.

AICC secretary in charge of Punjab Harish Choudhary, being from Rajasthan, is busy with the elections there. The list is, therefore, likely to be released once the campaigning in the state is over on November 29. The PPCC list has been hanging fire since March 5 this year when the Congress high command appointed Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa as the state party chief replacing former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

Preparing for recast

    The Congress list has been hanging fire since March 5 when Bajwa was made the state chief

The party high command is said to have cleared the state unit's new executive committee

It is expected to be released after the assembly elections in Rajasthan on November 29

The high command had asked Punjab leaders representing different factions to submit priority list