Decide quickly on changes: Sunil Jakhar

Chandigarh, March 12

As pressure mounts on Congress leaders to fix accountability for the poll debacle, former PCC chief Sunil Jakhar has urged the party high command to take whatever decision it wants to take immediately.

“Be it removing Navjot Singh Sidhu as PCC chief or retaining him, decision must be taken without delay. Delay in taking decisions in the past has cost the party dear. Party poll manifesto was released at the eleventh hour. Decisions have to be taken to move forward,” he said.

He further said: “If you want to hang me for the debacle, do it but at least take quick decisions and look for opportunity in adversity by lifting morale of the workers”. On being targeted by party leaders, he said every leader should introspect over the reasons for the loss. He further said it was time for the state leadership to camp in Sangrur, where the byelection to the Lok Sabha had been necessitated with CM-designate Bhagwant Mann getting elected as Dhuri MLA.

Delay costing dear

Be it removing Sidhu as PCC chief or retaining him, decision must be taken without delay. Delay in taking decisions has cost the party dear. Sunil Jakhar, PCC Ex-chief

Reacting to former Deputy CM Sukhjinder Randhawa’s charge of him being among those responsible for ruining party’s chances of returning to power, Jakhar shared an old video in which Randhawa is heard praising Jakhar for making him a minister in the Congress government in 2018. Randhawa maintained Jakhar had only helped PCC Navjot Sidhu play the role of Opposition.

After the debacle, blame game has begun within the Congress over the reasons for the grand old party being reduced to 18 seats in the Assembly from 77 in 2017. After the results, the Charanjit Channi camp and other party leaders who lost the election have blamed Sidhu for targeting his own government and giving the government on platter to AAP.

Jakhar, who had raked up the issue of “Hindus being ignored” as his name was not considered for the CM post after Capt Amarinder Singh was ousted, is also in the line of fire for allegedly deflecting the party’s minority vote bank to rivals.

Seeking accountability of all those in charge of the affairs, outgoing Speaker Rana KP pointed out there was complete lack of leadership. Party leadership was busy fighting, spoiling the chances of victory, he said.