Capt's detractors want 'young, clean' leader as PPCC chief

The blame game in Punjab over Congress debacle in assembly polls has reached party president Sonia Gandhi, with around four dozen state unit leaders urging her to appoint a "young leader with a clean image" as PPCC chief in place of Capt Amarinder Singh.

The blame game by warring factions in Punjab over the Congress' debacle in the assembly polls has reached party president Sonia Gandhi.

At least 47 prominent state unit leaders on Friday urged her to appoint a 'young leader with a clean image' as the Punjab Congress chief in place of Capt Amarinder Singh, it is learnt.

Nearly 60 state Congress leaders, including three sitting MLAs, had raised a banner of revolt on Thursday and decided to launch a campaign to force the party high command to remove Amarinder and save the party from going the UP way.

Beleaguered Amarinder is camping in New Delhi to meet Gandhi. What has set the alarm bells ringing in the Congress is the response to Thursday's meeting held at the residence of Amloh MLA Randeep Singh Nabha and attended by leaders from various factions. Three MLAs and more than 30 former ministers and MLAs attended the meeting to step up the anti-Amarinder campaign.

Congress sources said that a one-page memorandum listing reasons for the party's shocking defeat was sent to All India Congress Committee (AICC), bearing signatures of around four dozen leaders who attended Thursday's meeting. Surprisingly, these leaders were tight-lipped about the contents of the memorandum sent to Gandhi.

It was learnt that the communication sought an appointment with Gandhi, while welcoming the decision to appoint Sunil Jakhar as Congress Legislature Party leader.

"We have requested the high command to remove Amarinder, while stating that a young competent leader with a clean image be appointed as the PPCC chief," said a leader privy to the memorandum's contents.