CHANDIGARH: Ruling out any change in the state leadership, former Chhattisgarh chief minister and newly-appointed Congress general secretary in charge of Punjab Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday said the high command has full faith in the current Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa.
He added that all is not well with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab as a power struggle has started after its devastating defeat in Delhi. The defeated Delhi leaders have started taking charge and control of various government departments in Punjab, he alleged.
He said the entire Congress leadership in the state was united and unanimous about exposing, cornering and throwing out the corrupt and inefficient AAP government from the state. After holding meetings with senior leaders including MPs, MLAs, contested candidates and district presidents here, Baghel also taunted the defeated AAP leaders in Delhi who have allegedly started assuming the roles of de facto ministers in the Punjab government.
Replying to a question on the Ludhiana West by-election, for which the AAP has already announced a candidate although the by-election has not been announced, Bhagel said the purpose of announcing the candidate by the AAP was to create a Rajya Sabha vacancy for its leader Arvind Kejriwal after his defeat in Delhi. He said the Congress leadership in Punjab will shortlist the candidates for the by-election, while the final decision will be taken by the central leadership.
To a question on the Punjab government’s announcement that it will finish the drug menace in the state within three months, the former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister asked what the government was doing for three years. He said the government had completely failed on all fronts and was now trying to cover up its failures with grandiose announcements, which were high on rhetoric and low on delivery.
He said that during Saturday's meeting, the party had chalked out the roadmap for the year-long programs planned by the AICC at its Belagavi session under the ‘Nav Satyagraha’ mission. He said the PCC and all the frontal organizations will be involved in the ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’ rallies which are being organized across the country.
On the organizational front, he said the PCC will form committees from the state to the booth level and involve the entire rank and file in the party’s programmes by the end of the year.
He categorically denied that there was any factionalism in the Punjab Congress, adding that there was complete unity and unanimity among the leadership to strengthen the party in the state.
Sources said that Baghel told state unit leaders that if they have any issues, they should bring it to the party platform to get them resolved and not go to the media and speak against each other.
Those present at the meeting included PCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, CLP leader Partap Singh Bajwa, PCC Working President Bharat Bhushan Ashu, co-incharges Alok Sharma and Ravinder Uttam Rao.