M A I N   N E W S

Sonia tells Amarinder to change advisers
Prashant Sood
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 29
Amid reports of a turf war in the Punjab Congress Legislature Party, state Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh met the party’s central leaders in the Capital today to apprise them of the political situation in the state.

The Congress high command had received reports about some party MLAs having launched a signature campaign against the style of functioning of the Chief Minister. The thin attendance of MLAs and ministers at a dinner hosted by a Cabinet minister on the eve of Divali, which had the blessings of the Chief Minister, has also been reported to the high command.

The Chief Minister, who has been making hurried, unpublicised trips to New Delhi in the past fortnight, was in the Capital for about four hours today.

Sources said a signature campaign was also sought to be started by loyalists of the Chief Minister but the high command put its foot down on any such move. They said that following complaints against the style of working of Chief Minister, the high command had suggested to him to change some of his close advisors.

The Chief Minister had also been told to place the state Vigilance Bureau under the Chief Secretary, the sources said.

The Chief Minister’s visit today was an apparent attempt at damage control to explain the steps he had taken to redress the grievances of party leaders in the state.

The Congress high command has been receiving reports of senior BJP leaders being in touch with disgruntled Congress leaders in the state in an apparent bid to destabilise the state government.

Ms Kidwai had called the Chief Minister to the Capital last week to get a detailed assessment of the political developments.

Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who is sore at some decisions of the state government on her case, has made frequent visits to the capital in the past fortnight.

Ms Bhattal, who spent about three days in the Capital before Divali, is back in the Capital to meet central leaders.

Punjab PCC chief H.S. Hanspal is also in the Capital and is expected to meet Ms Mohsina Kidwai tomorrow.

No order from high command: CM
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 29
Punjab Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh tonight scotched all rumours of having received any directive from the party high command to the effect that he should effect “certain changes” in the administration to stem out the reported dissidence activities of party MLAs, who are gunning for him.

After a brief visit to New Delhi earlier in the day, Capt. on return from there told the Tribune News Service in reply to certain specific issues that it was “absolutely incorrect” that he had been given any directions on these issues. “There is no truth, whatsoever, in what you have pointed out. I had met Ms Moshina Kidwai during the brief visits and no such thing was even discussed”.

On the specific issues the Captain said there was no proposal to place vigilance under the Chief Secretary. At present it is being looked after by the Principal Secretary Home, who is also the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister;

There was no proposal to shift the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and remove any of his Advisers.

The Chief Minister also denied that 20 plus “dissident” MLAs booked rooms in the Punjab Bhawan, New Delhi, to camp there to campaign against him. “In fact, I have even heard rumours that some of them wanted to hold an Akhand Path. All this is absolutely incorrect. There is no proposal to effect any changes on the issues that you have mentioned. All this is untrue. You can quote me on these”.