Amarinder skips winter session of Parliament

KV Prasad

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 19

With the winter session of Parliament adjourning on December 23, the absence of the Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Capt Amarinder Singh, has been conspicuous. Notwithstanding the official explanation, sources say the former Punjab Chief Minister is upset with the party high command for its inaction on the state leadership issue.

Two senior AICC office-bearers told The Tribune that Amarinder Singh was in Patiala as his mother was not in good health. Hence, Mallikarujun Kharge was carrying out the task in the House in his absence.

Amarinder Singh was in Delhi today but was not seen in Parliament. Sources close to him indicated that this was intended to send a message to the party leadership that all was not well with the Punjab unit and that something needed to be done urgently.

Senior Congress leaders said the decision to replace PPCC chief Pratap Singh Bajwa had been taken but the high command was looking for a suitable candidate. Those close to Amarinder Singh maintained that after his victory from Amritsar, there was a clear understanding that he would be allowed to spend more time in the state to rejuvenate the party, right from the grass-roots level.

With fissures appearing in the SAD-BJP alliance, several Congress leaders from Punjab are of the view that the party should launch an aggressive campaign against the alliance and re-energise party workers.

The oust-Bajwa chorus is getting shriller by the day. It is learnt that Punjab leaders have asked party president Sonia Gandhi to appoint a Hindu leader to the PPCC chief’s post. With the state headed for elections in early 2017, Congress leaders from Punjab are of the view it is in Punjab that the BJP juggernaut can be checked effectively. For this to happen, they say a strong PPCC leadership is a must.