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'If a big political party...': Sanjay Raut's advice to Congress amid Punjab turmoil
Sena leader Sanjay Raut opined that confusions are inevitable if a big party like Congress remains without a head, even as he hoped the party would resolve their internal matters at the earliest.
A day after the Shiv Sena said Congress needs a full-time president in its editorial ‘Saamana’, party leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday once again gave its Maharashtra ally the same advice. This came as the crisis within the Congress' Punjab unit continued to remain in the media spotlight amid the ongoing infighting. "If a big political party like Congress remains without a head, then it naturally causes confusion. I am sure the Congress party will soon resolve its internal matters," news agency ANI quoted Sanjay Raut as saying.
On Friday, the Shiv Sena said the confusion prevailing over the leadership in the party was as much responsible for the political crisis in Punjab as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Sena also claimed that although Rahul Gandhi was trying to resolve the issues faced by the Congress, the old-timers in the party were in a secret pact with the BJP to stop him from doing so with the aim of sinking the party, reported PTI.
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"The Congress needs a full-time president. What is the use of a body without a head?... The Congress is ailing and it is being treated, but whether that treatment is right or not needs to be reviewed," the party said in an editorial in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.
"Rahul Gandhi is trying to fix the leakages in the old mansion (Congress), but some old feudal lords are not letting the new people work. They have started claiming ownership over several things in the mansion… It is now confirmed that the party's old guard is in a secret pact with BJP and they are trying to sink Congress," it alleged.
The remarks come against the backdrop of ongoing turmoil in Punjab ahead of the assembly elections slated for next year.
What's happening in Punjab?
Upset that his commands were not being followed after the cabinet expansion in Punjab, Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned as Congress president in the state on September 28, the position he was elevated to only in July. Shortly after, a minister and three Congress leaders, considered close to him, stepped down from their posts.
Before that, Amarinder Singh tendered his resignation as the chief minister of Punjab on September 18 following months of infighting between him and Navjot Singh Sidhu. He said that the Congress leadership had let him down. And when Sidhu resigned from his post, Singh sought to take a dig at him and called him an "unstable man".
Charanjeet Singh Channi took oath as the 16th chief minister of Punjab on September 20, days after Amarinder Singh stepped down from the top post in the state.
In the Congress-led Chhattisgarh too, a political crisis seems to be brewing with state health minister TS Singh Deo demanding a change of guard. After the Bhupesh Baghel-led government completed two-and-a-half years in office in June, the supporters of TS Singh Deo raised the issue of rotational chief ministership. On the other hand, more than a dozen Congress MLAs are now camping in Delhi to extend their support to current chief minister Baghel to continue his post.
