New Delhi, December 8
Continuing its efforts to sort out differences in the Punjab Congress, the party’s central leadership today met ministers and leaders who are lobbying for a leadership change in the state.
Senior party leaders Ms Mohsina Kidwai, Mr Ahmed Patel and Dr Manmohan Singh met Punjab ministers Mr Tej Prakash Singh and Mr Harnam Dass Johar besides former MP Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder.
Agriculture Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal could not come for the meeting due to some preoccupation in Chandigarh. She is slated to meet the central party leaders tomorrow.
The Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, reached the capital in the evening and also briefed the AICC committee.
Sources said that those lobbying for a change in leadership were claiming to have support of nearly 40 MLAs.
Reiterating their demand for a
leadership change, the dissident legislators complained about Punjab Chief Minister’s style of functioning and ‘poor progress’ on the development front.
AICC sources said the committee gave no indication about the change in leadership but the dissident camp appeared upbeat after the meeting. It was stated that the ongoing consultations were essentially meant to gauge the mood of dissidents and to see how determined they were about their demand. The committee would continue its meetings with ministers and MLAs over the next few days.
Sources said there was a brief reference to the Punjab situation at Sunday’s CWC meeting with one senior leader lauding the work done by the state government in its ‘anti-corruption’ drive.
