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Congress in Punjab is a non-aligned vehicle, unfit to enter election arena under given situation

 



Navjot Sidhu should now reconcile to fact of Channi being the Chief Minister

 

Ground Zero

Jagtar Singh

As Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, on a short lease of life, was moving fast forward to change the narrative in the state by making two major announcements by way of relief in power bills to people almost across the board and the hike for state government employees and pensioners, Pradesh Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu a less than a km away and around the same time was launching sharp attack on him without mentioning his name.

He was questioning the very rationale of reduction of power rates and other similar initiatives that were being announced by Channi to at least partially offset  strong incumbency against the state government rooted mainly in non-governance by his predecessor Capt Amarinder Singh who announced his new party Punjab Lok Congress on twitter today.

In his veiled attack, Sidhu also talked of Punjab in search of a capable leader who could be the Deliverer and said the people would elect the one in the forthcoming Assembly election due in February 2022, causing strong tremors in the party right upto Delhi.

Both Channi and Sidhu were directed to rush to Congress general secretary Harish Rawat in Dehradun in the morning. Rawat has been looking after Punjab affairs for a long time. They were accompanied by Harish Chaudhary, the present Punjab affairs incharge and Assembly Speaker Rana KP Singh. All of them later went to Kedarnath shrine to pay obeisance. Both Channi and Sidhu tweeted pics of the visit.

However, the damage had already been done. Now the opposition leaders are quoting Sidhu to corner Channi.

Sidhu, it is apparent, articulates opposition to Channi better than even the opposition leaders.

It seems he is still to compromise to the fact of Charanjit Singh Channi having been elevated as the Chief Minister after at least three aspirants were dropped one after the other, including Sidhu.

A low profile minister earlier, Channi as the chief minister has surprised everyone with his pro-people approach after taking over.

Going by the past framework, election is likely to be announced any time in December and as such, the Channi government has practically just four weeks to perform.

This government is not supposed, even can’t, go in for any long-term solution to the issues concerning the state and has to focus more on election winning strategy and take decisions accordingly, mainly to fulfil the main promises made to the people in 2017 that the Amarinder government failed to do.

The relief on the power front was one such promise and the announcement has rattled the opposition parties including AAP and the Shiromani Akali Dal. AAP had started the election campaign with party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal offering 300 units of free power to every consumer and the Akali Dal raised the stakes to 400 units. It is in this context that the decision to provide relief at the rate of Rs 3 per unit is significant at the political level. Both these parties would have to now rework this promise.

The issue with the Congress in the state at the moment is to repeat 2017, victory even if not that mandate. Channi has been emerging as the face for 2022 polls with his Aam Aadmi style that has been liked by the people.

 The  present pattern of offsetting political gains resulting from the government initiative by the state Congress chief has to discontinue and it is for the party’s central leadership to work it out.

In case the present mess continues, the party should rule out expecting political gain from the change by way of replacement of Capt Amarinder Singh by Charanjit Singh Channi.

The time period is too short for Channi and Sidhu. The party must give out clear and strong signal not by more than the end of this weak that the Congress in Punjab does not face any alignment problem and should go to the arena as a cohesive unit.

The pilgrimage to Kedarnath otherwise would have no significance.

The people at large should feel the change in the functioning of the state  Congress at the grassroots.

This would mean more than clearing up the present mess.


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