Navjot Singh Sidhu positioning himself as the battle commander as power struggle in Punjab Congress continues

 

 

 

Navjot Sidhu starts projecting himself as The Face, continues to question approach of CM Channi

Ground Zero

Jagtar Singh

 

They shared the stage today at Baghapurana in the Malwa belt in Moga district.

However, a few hours earlier, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu expressed reservations on the functioning of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi in his tweets in the context of the cable network issue. Channi had earlier made the announcement capping cable network rate at Rs 100 per connection wading into the domain of TRAI according to which the rate of Rs 130 for the basic bouquet. Sidhu had referred to his own proposals made from time to time on this issue that had entered into the poll narrative in 2017 and its hangover continues.

More important was the tone and tenor of his speech at Bagha Purana at a Congress rally that earlier was also addressed by Channi who had made it clear that the party was supreme.

Sidhu presented himself as the mythical Deliverer who had the key to rescuing Punjab from the present ‘crisis’ that included the mounting debt.

However, more important is the way he questions the approach of the Channi government on key issues that include the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and the drugs. The Congress in 2017 manifesto had promised to take action but the same narrative continues.

It was the sacrilege issue that precipitated the revolt against the non-functioning of Capt Amarinder Singh. Now the time is too short.

But Sidhu promises to take both the issues to the logical conclusion and threatened to go on an indefinite fast in the eventuality of the failure of the government.

However, it was the style of self-projection as the person who had solutions to almost every issue saying “Sidhu would not facilitate new government on falsehood” (Sidhu Jhooth Bolke Sarkar Nahin Liayega) that is an important indicator as to which way the power struggle within the Congress in the state continues to shape up.

Channi’s recipe is projecting himself as the one from among the masses- more than just Aam Aadmi, the term that is originated with Aam Aadmi Party headed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. AAP is the third dimension in Punjab’s electoral domain but has failed even to keep its MLAs together two of whom today formally joined the Congress.

Sidhu later in the evening tweeted his entire approach overtime to the cable network issue in a video that includes his speeches from time to time including his proposals that he said were stonewalled by Capt Amarinder Singh.

Of course, the coordinated electoral strategy can be a matter of concern for the Shiromani Akali Dal that is positioning itself as the main challenger to the Congress but the nuanced differences continue to emanate from Sidhu.

One noticeable dimension of the Congress campaign today was that the party has started announcing its candidates like the Shiromani Akali Dal, although informally. Party’s old warhorse Darshan Singh Brar was projected as the candidate from Baghapurana which is a semi-urban seat that includes only one small town.

Sukhbir Singh Badal as the Shiromani Akali Dal president has taken the lead by announcing candidates for almost all the seats who have started their campaign. Last-minute adjustment is going on with the alliance partner the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Akali Dal is the only party that has finalised the candidates. The AAP is still searching for a credible face to command the poll battle.

The Congress is now a double engine organisation although these engines operate on different frequencies that at times clash with each other. This is the maximum that the party’s central leadership could have done to smoothen the bloated egos of some leaders.

At the organisational level, Congress is still to come up with the structure that has to deliver at the grassroots.

This problem also afflicts the AAP.

This has to be seen in the context of friction-free poll machinery of the Shiromani Akali Dal that is also well-oiled.