Cong resolution, ‘smart way’ to gauge Capt’s influence
Friday, 25/09/2015
http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/
Chandigarh : The idea of moving a resolution by a few Congress MLAs reposing faith in the party leadership, in an apparent affront to a defiant Amarinder Singh’s growing influence could be a smart move as no MLA could have refused to sign it.
The idea behind getting the resolution passed was clear — to assess how many MLAs continue to repose faith in the party leadership, amid indications of Amarinder and his supporters trying to break away and form a new party.
The fact that the move was initiated by two MLAs – Indian Youth Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and AICC secretary Kuljit Nagra, considered close to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi — are clearly indicative of the party testing the waters in state Congress. The presence of another Delhi-based aide of Rahul in the state Assembly premises also fuelled speculation that the party leadership was assessing how many MLAs would be with them and how many would continue to stand with Amarinder.
Yesterday, the stealthy way used to get the resolution passed as some MLAs put it, only boomeranged upon those who planned it. It ultimately ended being shredded to pieces by Tanda MLA Sangat Singh Gilzian, after learning that he was made to sign it in good faith without realising the contents of the resolution.
Not only did it embarrass the people behind the resolution, but it also put the already divided party in full public view amidst the Vidhan Sabha session as Ashwani Sekhri, the main anchor of the move, tried to get the signatures from the MLAs inside the House itself instead of the CLP office.
Some MLAs alleged he deliberately circulated the resolution inside the House as some of them signed it thinking it was something related to the House proceedings.
Sources say during the CLPmeeting, held after the House was adjourned, senior leaders like Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Lal Singh and Tript Rajinder Bajwa, pacified him and also got a compromise struck between him and Gilzian and Ramanjit Sikki — the two MLAs Sekhri accused of threatening him. Though the party later tried to downplay the incident and say that the CLP was united, the damage to the party had already been done. The ruling alliance was spared of the ire of the Opposition inside the House.
