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ppcc list row
Cong pointman to meet Punjab leaders today
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 6
A nominee of the Congress high command will be in Chandigarh tomorrow to meet state party leaders and discuss reconstitution of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) which has caused heartburn in certain sections.

Harish Choudhary, AICC Secretary in charge of Punjab, has been asked to represent the party's central leadership in Chandigarh and put across views of the high command which has clarified that open airing of grievances will not be taken lightly.

Top party sources said Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa has been told to send a proposal for the constitution of the PPCC disciplinary committee which would take note of public airing of concerns around the list. The Tribune was the first to report that the process for the formation of the disciplinary committee of PPCC had been set into motion post rebellion.

While the establishment of the disciplinary panel indicates Congress high command's attempts to stem the public rebellion in the party rank and file over the list, the central leadership is also fully aware of the fact that several top leaders are unhappy.

Among these are former PCC chiefs and state CMs Capt Amarinder Singh and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, former union law minister Ashwani Kumar and Congress Working Committee Member Jagmeet Brar.

In response to the discontent among top leaders and some other sections of the party, Shakeel Ahmed, Congress general secretary for Punjab today told The Tribune, "We have said that we are ready to consider genuine demands of leaders. If there is a feeling that people who worked against the party have been accommodated and those who loyally served the party have been ignored, we are willing to look at those concerns. We are constantly monitoring the situation and will sort it out very soon."

Meanwhile top party sources indicated to TNS today that some senior leaders from Punjab Congress might be asked to help the high command address the issue of discontent. "We are in touch with two to three leaders to help us sort out grievances. We are also going to form the disciplinary committee of the PPCC soon," said a senior leader.