Rahul meets Punjab Cong MLAs ahead of state unit revamp
Tuesday, 13/10/2015
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NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday met a group of party legislators from Punjab ahead of restructuring and leadership change in the state party unit.
Congress sources said Rahul interacted with the legislators freely and sought their suggestions for strengthening the organisation in Punjab and improving its prospects in the assembly polls slated for early 2017. Most of the MLAs who met him on Monday are believed to be loyal to former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh. Former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who also seeks a leadership change and unity among leaders, also met the party vice-president.
Amarinder, who returned from abroad on Sunday, held a luncheon meeting with the MLAs loyal to him, in an attempt to display his influence. He will meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi ahead of a final announcement on restructuring necessitated by the demand for replacing Partap Singh Bajwa as state party chief. From Tuesday, Rahul will start meeting party’s district unit presidents to get their feedback on who could lead the party to victory in the next assembly elections.
During the one-on-one meetings with 18 legislators on Monday, he sought their views on whom to hand over the party reins in the state. Sources said the Congress high-command was toying with the idea of naming former Union minister Ambika Soni as Punjab Congress president to end differences in the unit. A section, however, wants Amarinder in charge.
