Harish Rawat, who is the party in-charge in the state, said: “We will contest 2022 Punjab elections under the leadership of Captain Amarinder Singh.”
A day after a section of party leaders renewed their rebellion against the Chief Minister of Punjab, the Congress today declared Captain Amarinder Singh as leader of the party for state assembly polls.
Harish Rawat, who is the party in-charge in the state, said: “We will contest 2022 Punjab elections under the leadership of Captain Amarinder Singh.”
After Amarinder Singh targeted the advisors of state Congress chief Navjot Sidhu over their comments on Pakistan and Kashmir, the demand for Mr Singh’s removal from the post of the Punjab Chief Minister resurfaced.
23 party MLAs, including four ministers on Tuesday held a meeting and said they will write to the Central leadership on the issue.
Cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, after the meeting, said: “Captain should be replaced else the Congress won’t survive… we will meet Sonia Gandhi over the issue.”
Today four cabinet ministers met Mr Rawat. Mr Bajwa, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Charanjit Singh Channi met Mr Rawat in Dehradun. After their meeting with Mr Rawat, they sere expected to go to Delhi to meet Sonia Gandhi, reported news agency Press Trust of India, quoting un-named sources.
Though the grand old party has backed Amarinder Singh through the rebellion in the party ranks that lasted weeks, but their compromise formula also included elevation of Mr Sidhu, the biggest critic of the Chief Minister.
However, the infighting that started earlier this year, and was considered over after Me Sidhu’s elevation, is far from over.
State leader Preneet Kaur, when asked if she thinks Mr Sidhu is responsible for the unrest in the party, said: “Of course he started it, it is his advisors”.
“The Chief Minister showed maturity and largeness of heart. Once the high command decided that Sidhu was coming, CM said “It is the Congress chiefs decision ánd I abide by it’,”” she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The rebels, she said, should “fall in line”.
“This is not the time to rake up all these things. You rake them up at the party platform and go ahead. We want a united Congress to fight the election,” she added.
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