Congress MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, 44, formally took over as Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president, while Bharat Bhushan Ashu assumed charge as the state unit’s working president at a low-key event in Chandigarh on Friday.
Also read: Sidhu calls Mann a ‘rubber doll’, says law and order gone for a toss in state
Warring, named the new state Congress chief on April 9, succeeds Navjot Singh Sidhu, who reached the Punjab Congress Bhawan, the state headquarters of the party in Chandigarh, but did not step on the dais. He was among the party heads of five states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, asked to put in their papers by Congress president Sonia Gandhi after the party’s humiliating defeat in the February-March assembly elections. The Congress won 18 of the 117 seats in Punjab.
Facing disciplinary action, Jakhar skips event
Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar was conspicuous by his absence. The party’s disciplinary committee is expected to meet soon to decide on Jakhar’s fate after he chose not to reply to its notice. All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Chaudhary had written to Sonia Gandhi, seeking disciplinary action against Jakhar. A three-time former MLA from Abohar and former MP from Gurdaspur, Jakhar was accused of “anti-party statements” during the assembly elections and alleged “derogatory” remarks against former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
{{/usCountry}}Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar was conspicuous by his absence. The party’s disciplinary committee is expected to meet soon to decide on Jakhar’s fate after he chose not to reply to its notice. All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Chaudhary had written to Sonia Gandhi, seeking disciplinary action against Jakhar. A three-time former MLA from Abohar and former MP from Gurdaspur, Jakhar was accused of “anti-party statements” during the assembly elections and alleged “derogatory” remarks against former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
{{/usCountry}}During the elections, Jakhar had created a flutter in party circles by stating that he was rejected for the chief minister’s post for being a Hindu and blamed “senior advisers sitting in Delhi” for the decision. In another statement, he claimed that at the time of selection of then chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s successor, 42 of the 79 Congress MLAs had backed him and only two were with Channi, whom the party leadership picked for the post.
3Ds to strengthen party in state
Addressing the gathering, Warring said that party leaders will need to follow three ‘Ds’ - discipline, dedication and dialogue, to strengthen and rejuvenate the Congress in the state.
Ashu said they had a challenging task of uniting party workers who were demoralised. “There should be no personal branding and everyone needs to work for the party,” he added.
Faction-ridden unit’s semblance of unity
Besides Sidhu, Congress Legislature Party leader Partap Singh Bajwa, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, former ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Raj Kumar Verka, Vijay Inder Singla, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Gurkirat Singh Kotli and Anandpur Sahib MPs Manish Tewari and Jasbir Singh Dimpa, former Punjab Congress chief Shamsher Singh Dullo, besides Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Chaudhary were present on the occasion.
A three-time MLA from Gidderbaha, Warring is a former president of the Indian Youth Congress.