Infighting in Patiala Congress far from over

Aman Sood

Patiala, April 18

A day after Pradesh Congress Committee chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring met disgruntled Congress leaders from Patiala, the leaders have decided to go ahead with the scheduled April 20 workers meeting. Party candidate Dr Dharamvira Gandhi has appealed to the leaders “to listen to the high command and work for strengthening the party”.

“At the last moment, they brought an outsider at the behest of some Punjab leaders who twisted political facts and sidelined loyal Congress leaders,” said a senior leader, who says he will surely participate in this event and also share the expenses.

Unhappy at decision to field a turncoat

Patiala has always been the citadel of our party in the state because the workers are dedicated, loyal and hardworking. However, they are extremely unhappy with the decision to field a turncoat, ignoring their own leaders. —Hardyal Kamboj, Former MLA

Senior Congress leader Lal Singh said he had been serving the Congress since 1968 and never thought of revolting or leaving the party.

“We have heard our leaders Rahul Gandhi and Warring yesterday and appreciate their efforts. We are left with no option but to hold and listen to party workers who are the lifeline of the party. We cannot ignore them. We are not leaving the party or revolting, but workers must be heard,” he stated, adding that ultimately it is the workers who will “ensure votes for the leader”.

Another senior Congressman and former MLA Hardyal Kamboj said there was ‘discontent in the party’s rank and file’ in Patiala and it was important that the grassroot level workers were heard at the April 20 event. “Patiala has always been the citadel of our party in the state and it remains so because the workers are dedicated, loyal and hardworking. However, they are extremely unhappy with the decision to field a turncoat, ignoring their own leaders”, he stated.

On Wednesday, Warring made party leaders from Patiala, opposing Dr Gandhi, talk to Rahul Gandhi urging them not to hold the April 20 workers meeting against the official candidate.

However, terming the ‘rebellion’ an “internal matter of the Congress”, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi said leaders “should abide by the party” decision. When asked if he had met any of them or made efforts to discuss the turn of events, Gandhi said: “I have spoken to a few of them on the phone but not personally met them.”

Congress leaders, including Lal Singh, former MLAs Hardyal Singh Kamboj, Madan Lal Jalalpur and Rajinder Singh (son of Lal Singh), besides halqa in-charges Vishnu Sharma from Patiala and Darbara Singh from Shutrana opposed the party ticket to an outsider.

Meanwhile, former cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is busy with the IPL, was in Patiala for two days. However, he kept away from the local politics and had a closed door meeting with a few of his aides within the Congress, including former PPCC chief Shamsher Singh Dullo.