Former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh again trained his guns at state Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa, saying only a leadership change could save the party as the current dispensation was not in a position to win the 2017 assembly polls.
“He (Bajwa) has been there for about two years now, see the graph of Congress. It is totally on the downslide. It is strange that while the graph of Akali-BJP government is going down, so is ours,” Singh told HT.
“We have not been able to capitalise on the unpopularity of the Akali government. Ask a common man on the street and he will tell you what ails Congress in Punjab.”
The widening rift between the two leaders is taking a heavy toll on the faction-ridden Punjab Congress at a time when the party has got the ammunition in the form of drugs issue to attack the ruling Akali Dal.
The issue has even brought the two decades old allies —Akali Dal and the BJP — face to face with political analysts predicting that they could part ways before the 2017 assembly elections.
The Amritsar MP also rubbished Bajwa’s charge that the Congress lost 2012 Punjab elections under his leadership despite huge anti-incumbency against the Parkash Singh Badal led government. “In 2012, we faced a nationwide anti-Congress sentiment because of Anna Hazare movement and the 2G controversy. Punjab bore the brunt as it was first state to go to the polls post-Anna movement,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The Amritsar MP also rubbished Bajwa’s charge that the Congress lost 2012 Punjab elections under his leadership despite huge anti-incumbency against the Parkash Singh Badal led government. “In 2012, we faced a nationwide anti-Congress sentiment because of Anna Hazare movement and the 2G controversy. Punjab bore the brunt as it was first state to go to the polls post-Anna movement,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Asked if he would accept a neutral candidate as the new state chief, he said there were several capable and competent people who could lead the party and acceptable to rank and file. “The choice is the prerogative of the Congress president.”
Captain Amarinder Singh also rubbished media reports that he would quit the Congress in case Bajwa was not removed soon.