Challenge before Sidhu is to blunt strong anti-incumbency against Amarinder government

 

 Challenge before Sidhu is  to blunt strong anti-incumbency against Amarinder government

Ground Zero

Jagtar Singh

Induction of celebrity-cricketer turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu as the Punjab Congress President just a few months before the challenge of February 2022 Assembly election is a belated decision but finally, the ‘High Command’ has acted and acted decisively having become wiser from major mishaps in states like Madhya Pradesh.

As he has travelled to the Congress from the Bharatiya Janata Party that brought him into active politics, it is understandable that he has been making highly critical statements against the leaders of the Congress. But then there are no permanent friends or permanent foes in India’s political domain.

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh without any preconditions had himself hurriedly brought back to Congress rebel Aam Aadmi Party MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira who too had been his arch critic. He too is perceived to be a loose cannon.

The only difference is that Navjot Singh has been attacking Capt Amarinder Singh  while being in the Congress and from the party platforms. He has been aggressively questioning performance of the Amarinder government of which he earlier was the part as the local bodies minister.

Now it is Navjot Singh Sidhu who has been entrusted with the responsibility of gearing up the party for the February 2022 fight that is going to be the tough one.

Of course, there is one big factor not associated with any of the main contenders directly that would play a major role in dictating the outcome.

The biggest challenge before Navjot would be as to how to counter strong anti-incumbency against the Amarinder government. The votes are sought by the ruling party on performance and not by pleading for another chance after ditching the people.

Intriguingly, Capt Amarinder Singh, who  has the reputation of taking bold stand on issues concerning Sikhs and the state and being decisive, just distanced himself from governance after taking over the reigns of the state this time. He had promised even moon to the electorate in the run up to February 2017 polls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too has failed to keep many of his promises like Rs. 15 lakh in every account and employment but he is not absentee administrator.

Capt Amarinder Singh has been absentee administrator who out-sourced administration  to a retired officer close to him.

Despite murmurs, the factor that covered up this non-governance was the positive performance of the Congress even in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 by effectively countering the Modi wave.

That is past.

The issue is  as to what the future holds for the Congress in Punjab in February 2022. Can Navjot Singh Sidhu rewrite the script?

The two Patialvis have to first sort it out among themselves. Sonia Gandhi has appointed Navjot despite strong opposition from Capt Amarinder Singh. It is pertinent to mention that Capt Amarinder Singh is a personal friend of the Gandhi family. At one level, the former Patiala Royal has been humiliated.

The new state party chief would have to spell out his agenda in the coming days after the hype settles down. The people in the state are demanding answers for the continuing mess.

The issues remain the same as in 2017 but only the players have changed. And here is the challenge for the new party chief. The Congress would have to shed the baggage of non-governance by producing positive results at the earliest as  even the delayed results would be perceived to be election gimmick.

And producing results is not in the hands of the Congress chief but the chief minister.

Under the changed situation, the chief minister too would be under pressure to govern and perform.

In case his earlier governing style continues, would the Gandhi family take the next step?

The first step has been taken after perception had gained ground that the Congress is on way out. The future of the party in the state, and hence that of Navjot Singh Sidhu, is directly linked to the Amarinder government.

The Punjab February 2022 writing obituary of the Congress is not ruled out going by the present situation.

This dimension raises yet another question mark.

What next?

Would it be perform or quit?

One of the major factors that would dictate outcome of the February 2022 election would be the farmers struggle to which every political party has paid only lip service.