Punjab Congress's policy group meet put off for 3rd time
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 15
The game of one-upmanship between Capt Amarinder Singh and PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu is far from over, if the postponement of the first meeting of the ‘strategic policy group’ for the third consecutive time on Wednesday is any indication.
The committee was constituted after the CM and PCC chief agreed on the strategic group for better coordination between the state party unit and government.
The meeting was scheduled for September 16, after being postponed on September 2 and September 9. Officially, unavailability of the members is said to be the reason and it could be held next week, but there is more to this than what meets the eye.
Against initially 10-member group, comprising ministers Brahm Mohindra, Manpreet Badal and Aruna Chaudhary, the PCC chief and four working presidents Sangat Singh Gilzian, Kuljit Nagra, Sukhwinder Danny and Pawan Goel besides Pargat Singh, and ministers OP Soni, Balbir Sidhu and Bharat Bhushan Ashu have been added.
While CM is chairman of the committee, Sidhu, by virtue of being the PCC chief, should have been made the co -chairman. But he has been placed at the eight place in the list of invitees. A senior party leader said: “Given the seniority of the CM and status of the state unit president, the government must bring them on the same page. Sidhu wanted the issues to be settled ahead of the meeting. So far, the coordination is effectively missing.”
CM holds manifesto committee meeting
CM Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday held a meeting of the six-member committee formed to implement the party manifesto. Issues that are yet to be addressed were raised in the meeting. The role and powers of the committee members however are yet not clear.
May visit dera sachkhand Ballan
The CM is likely to visit Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar, a prominent placed revered by the Scheduled Caste community, in a few days. Navjot Singh Sidhu along with some MLAs had visited the dera recently.
