New Delhi, January 2
In a move to set the house in order in view of the "early" Lok Sabha polls, the AICC panel has summoned Punjab Congress legislators to the Capital in a bid to bridge the differences within the state Congress Legislative Party.
“We have called all the Punjab Congress legislators to Delhi on January 5, to hear their views and prepare the state unit for the forthcoming general elections,” party’s general secretary in charge of Punjab, Ms Mohsina Kidwai, told The Tribune.
She said the views of the MLAs would be heard on Monday and if need be, it would be extended by another day.
Sources indicated that the party high command has ruled out any immediate change in the CLP leadership as it would harm the interest of the party in the Lok Sabha polls.
Party sources said the AICC panel would listen to the grievances of the MLAs separately. The legislators rallying behind Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and Agriculture Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal would be in the Capital to express their views to the panel.
The ongoing tussle between the two Punjab Congress factions has harmed the interest of the party in the state and the Shiromani Akali Dal, which lost the Assembly polls, has springed back in the state and is optimistic about good performance in the Lok Sabha poll.
Sources indicated that the panel would ask the legislators to keep the differences aside in view of the larger battle of Lok Sabha poll.
The dissident MLAs said the decision on the leadership issue has been postponed in the past in view of the Assembly poll in Himachal Pradesh and later in four states. Again if it is kept in suspended animation in view of the Lok Sabha poll would not resolve the issue rather would only keep it burning, which would further harm the interest of the party as the legislators would not work whole heartedly.
The dissident Congress legislators, after camping in the Capital for about a fortnight left the city following a meeting with the Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
The party high command had assured them that a decision on the dissident legislator’s demand of “save Amarinder or save Congress” would be taken after the winter session of Parliament, which ended on December 23.
Aggrieved over the delay in taking decision, some of dissident MLAs visited the Capital late last month and met the AICC panel members to express their anger over the delay.
Interestingly, the panel has not asked the Punjab PCC members to express their views on the rift in the CLP and how the differences within the legislators was harming the interest of the party.
“The views of the Punjab PCC should be taken by the panel, as they are in direct touch with the people of the state,” said M.M. Singh Cheema, the state unit vice-president.
