Punjab Congress infighting intensifies, Amarinder hardens stand on leadership issue

CHANDIGARH: The efforts by Congress party high command to unite the Punjab Congress leaders have failed to bear fruit as the infighting between senior state leaders has intensified further. The Congress had lost the assembly elections in 2012 due to  factional fight and now the party seems unprepared for the 2017 assembly elections.Two senior party leaders, both PPCC Presidents Capt Amarinder Singh deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal has have blamed each other for winning elections with the help of Akali Dal. Bhattal said that Capt Amarinder was challenging the party high command which gave him everything. She said Amarinder is whosing childish behaviour.The recent bout of allegations between Capt Amarinder and Bhattal began after the latter question the former over a statement on GST bill presented by NDA in the Lok Sabha and opposed by opposition. Capt Amarinder had decried the Congress party decision of opposing the GST bill on the ground that delay in passing the bill is major loss of Punjab. Capt Amarinder is deputy leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha had given a miss to the monsoon session of Lok Sabha.Capt Amarinder snubbed Bhattal on his statement and virtuallya sked her to shut up since she has no right to speak when she won her assembly seat of Lehragaga with the help of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Bhatal had also blamed Amarinder for hobnobbing with Akalis and she pointed out to speculations that Capt Amarinder may form a separate party to help SAD win 2017 assembly elections.Capt Amarinder Singh in fact is at loggerheads with most of the senior leaders of state Congress. He is openly lobbying against Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee(PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa and pressurising the Congress high command to replace Bajwa to win the 2017 elections. In an interview with a leading English daily Capt Amarinder has said that with Bajwa at helm of affairs, party cant win the 2017 assembly elections. He has hardened his stand on the issue of party leadership. He carries the grudge that party high command has not consulted him before appointing the PPCC president Bajwa has rebutted it and reminded Capt Amarinder Singh that party had lost assembly elections in 2007 and 2012 under his leadership.The party high command is confused over taking a decicion on leadership issue in Punjab. Capt Amarinder said that more delay in removing Bajwa would only harm the party more. Capt Amarinder Singh understood to have taken the strategic stand that if he is not given the command of party in Punjab, he would not let others to succeed either.The party high command has recently revoked the suspension of former MP Jagmeet Singh Brar and the decision py party high command understood to have irked Capt Amarinder Singh and he see him as rival not an alley. Jagmeet Brar who hails from Malwa is considered strong contender for the post of PPCC President. Brar has already declared to contest against Chiefd Minister Parkash Singh Badal from his home constituency Lambi.