Chandigarh, April 2
Congress politics in Punjab is on the boil. Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who has been criticising the functioning of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal today met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi for 40 minutes. Besides him, Congress MLA from Nabha Randeep Singh also met Sonia, it is learnt.
Yesterday Bhattal met Margaret Alva, general secretary, All- India Congress Committee and in charge of party affairs for Punjab. Bhattal is believed to have brought the statements given by Amarinder criticising her functioning to the notice of Alva. Bhattal is said to have asked Alva to direct all concerned in the party to air their views at the party forum instead of going to the media on issues related to the party. Bhattal today also met the Prime Minister, along with some former Congress ministers from Punjab.
Meanwhile, sources said immediately after meeting Sonia, Amarinder contacted his confidants in the Congress in Punjab from Delhi on phone to tell them to start preparations to hold rallies in various parts of the state. He has asked his confidants to inform him the dates when they wanted to hold rallies in their areas to enable him to prepare his itinerary accordingly to address rallies, it is learnt.
Amarinder is expected to address the first rally at Mehraj, near Rampura Phul village of his ancestors, on April 10. Then he will address political conference on Baisakhi (April 14) at Talwandi Sabo. After that he will move to Majha and Doaba areas, it is learnt.
Congress sources said here Amarinder discussed various issues related to Punjab and Congress politics in the state with Sonia. He is believed to have informed the Congress president that he would not be able to pull together with Bhattal and should be allowed to work separately keeping in view the coming Lok Sabha elections in the state.
Amarinder has been saying Bhattal had adopted a policy of appeasement towards the ruling SAD-BJP combine headed by Parkash Singh Badal. He has been for a tough approach against the Badal government. The sources said Amarinder presented certain newspaper clippings and photographs to Sonia in support of his contention Congress leadership in Punjab had been cooperating with the Badal government, a development that was not in the interest of the Congress. Amarinder has been saying there should be no soft approach towards the ruling SAD-BJP combine because it was targeting and demoralising Congress activists in the countryside.
However, some of the staunch supporters of Bhattal have been saying that she was on the right political course to bring down bitterness between two main political parties- the SAD and the Congress in the state, in the interest of the state.
Meanwhile, Bhattal, after a meeting with senior leaders and party MLAs, has announced her programme to hold party rallies in the state. Under her command, the first rally will be held at Amritsar on April 9, at Moga on April 11, Fatehgarh Sahib on April 12 and Jalandhar on April 13. She will address a political conference on the Baisakhi day at Talwandi Sabo. She has urged all party MLAs, former MLAs, MPs and former MPs and other senior leaders to mobilise party workers for the proposed rallies.
