New Delhi, December 27
With the 2014 General Election a few months away, the Congress today announced the members of much-delayed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) that comprises 292 members, including 14 vice-presidents, 35 general secretaries, 61 secretaries and 34 permanent invitees.

The new state Congress’ Executive Committee will have 148 members and the party high command also named 27 new urban and rural district presidents.

Major highlights of the list are its jumbo character to please all factions of the state Congress and send a message of unity ahead of the polls, and fair representation to Dalits.

The selection of candidates reveals a conscious attempt of Congress president Sonia Gandhi to accommodate loyalists of all factions led by All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ambika Soni, PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa, former state Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar and senior leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.

Among 14 vice-presidents, four are Dalits, making the Scheduled Castes’ representation highest at 28 per cent. Likewise, seven out of 35 general secretaries are Dalits, which is 20 per cent representation. Similar percentage of the SC representation has been ensured by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi at all levels of leadership. Rahul, as reported by the Tribune earlier, has referred the list to Congress SC Panel Chief K Raju, who later made vital additions. Among vice-presidents is four-time MLA and senior Hindu leader Brahm Mohindra, Barnala MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon and Guru Harsahai MLA Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi (both close to Amarinder Singh). The only woman vice-president is former MLA Razia Sultana from a minority community.

All former four zonal vice-presidents TS Soond, OP Soni, GS Kangar and CS Channi have been retained. Dalit faces in the PPCC vice-presidents are - Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Soond, Channi and Sardul Singh Bandala. Other vice-presidents are former MLA SPS Sibia, two-time MLA from Sangrur Sangat Singh Gilzian, senior Dalit leader Bandala and three-time MLA from Amloh Randeep Singh Nabha.

CD Kambhoj, a former state president of the BSP who defected to the Congress earlier, has been rewarded with the PPCC vice-presidentship. Similarly, Kushaldeep Dhillon who defected from the PPP in the last state elections has been made general secretary.

Top Congress rebels who fought against party candidates and have now been made general secretaries are - Hans Raj Joshan (who fought against deputy CM Sukhbir Badal in Jalalabad in the last assembly polls) and Sukhjinder Majithia who fought as an independent against Akali Dal’s Bikram Majithia in last elections. Other important general secretaries are - former CM Beant Singh’s grandson Gurkirat Kotli; Harminder Jassi, a relative of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim; Amarinder Raja Singh Warring, Rahul Gandhi’s nominee who won last elections in Punjab; PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa’s brother Fateh Jang Singh Bajwa; former Punjab Police officer and a Dalit face DR Bhatti whom the PPCC president is expected to project as a candidate for Jalandhar SC seat in place of Mohinder Kaypee; and Raj Kumar Chabbewal, another Dalit face which the PPCC chief might propose for Lok Sabha candidature from Hoshiarpur SC seat in place of Santosh Choudhary.

Former OSD to Amarinder Singh, Lakhwinder Kaur Garcha has also been made a general secretary with Harminder Gill, who lost to Akali heavyweight Adesh Pratap Kairon in the last polls. Dalits in the general secretaries’ list include Aruna Choudhary, Ajaib Bhatti, Joginder Chhina, Pawan Adia, Satnam Kainth, Bhatti and Chhabewal.

Those new among 34 permanent invitees are all top Punjab leaders, former and current ministers, MPs and former PPCC chiefs.