Cong workers fed up with infigthing, admits Bajwa
Wednesday, 24/06/2015
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Bathinda : The Congress is in a deep mess. The party workers now want the senior leaders to shun their infighting and launch a united move aimed at strengthening up the party with the Vidhan Sabha elections 2017 in sight.This the feedback which Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa is getting from the workers these days while touring the villages of Malwa region under his programme of mass contact. During his visit to Balluana village in Bathinda district on Tuesday, the PPCC chief appealed all to narrate him the failures of the government and the suggestions to take the rulers to task.
It was an ironic situation for Bajwa and his aides when an elderly Congressman stood up and asked Bajwa to first find ways to shun the infighting. “The foremost requirement of the time in the Congress is to end the infighting of the senior leaders. People are fed with this cockfight. They now want some force to take on the ruling alliance but that can be done only if this Bajwa and Captain groups are dissolved into the Congress,” said the old partyman with impunity.
Earlier, while interacting with media persons at a hotel in Bathinda in the morning, Bajwa had also admitted the fact. “People want to see the Congress as a united face and I assure you all that Vidhan Sabha 2017 polls will be contested in a very systematic way with all party leaders working with sole agenda to defeat the Akali-BJP alliance,” said Bajwa.
Speaking further he went on saying, “I and Captain Amarinder Singh may be having internal differences but we have a common enemy, a common target so I strongly feel that we all should shun the personal issues and join each other to take on the rivals.” He also dropped a strong message for the Congress workers that the leadership of the two would be adjudged only after the elections results. About Captain Amarinder’s parallel move to tour the state, a defensive PPCC chief said, “He is my elder brother. He is my senior. I respect him from the core of my heart. So I can just appeal him to work in the interest of the party whatever the way he may like.”
Asked the impact of Captain’s luncheon meeting with the state leaders of the party, a visibly hurt PPCC Chief said, “What if few of my party colleagues went to his place to have food. I don’t find anything very much serious in people moving anyone’s place to get food.” It is pertinent to mention that during the luncheon meeting various leaders including Muktsar MLA Karan Kaur Brar had announced to prefer Amarinder if there was a choice between the Congress or Amarinder.
Questioned about former Congress MP Jagmeet Singh Brar again dropping hints to come back in the party fold, Bajwa said, “I had warned him even at the time of his desertion. I had apprised him of his fate. Still, it’s good if he is coming back. I will certainly welcome his move.” Asked if he was having any objection if the party appoints Captain as the Poll Campaign Committee in-charge, a feeble Bajwa said, “The high command is free to give the responsibility to anyone. I am happy with position (PPCC chief) I currently have and this I don’t want to lose at least for now.”
Dashing the reports of his removal from the seat, Bajwa said, “Every first week of each month I learn about the same but nothing has been done till date. So, I strongly assure you that I will be here with the high command not in mood to replace me in the near future.” Replying to a query about the Congress losing the by-elections in a row, the state party chief said, “I don’t want to get into the unpleasant details but I make it clear that such by-elections were not won by the Akalis but the Police had won them with various shortfalls on our part too.” He, on the occasion, also announced the opening of fast track courts dealing solely with drugs cases provided the Congress comes to power in 2017. Bajwa, however, denied seeing the party projecting him as the CM face saying that it was the prerogative of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
Asked about the PPP and AAP, Bajwa said that the he was open for Manpreet to have alliance but he dubbed AAP as a spent force. Meanwhile, he slammed Badal family for amassing huge wealth and went on comparing them with Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Finding the media persons taken strong exception to the example, Bajwa hurriedly clarified that he was talking about their wealth only. He also termed ruling Badal family as the richest among Sikhs world over. Bajwa also feared that paddy growers would face difficulty in selling the crop as Punjab government was clarifying its stand on the standard quality and variety of paddy.
