All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Punjab Bhupesh Baghel on Monday landed in Chandigarh to defuse tensions in the state unit, with party leaders invited for one-on-one lunch or dinner meetings. According to party sources, his personal staff had been sending messages to disgruntled leaders but “received a cold shoulder” so far.
They said Baghel had planned a series of meetings with party leaders to iron out the differences over the next five days. The party high command is likely to harden its stance if the disgruntled leaders fail to fall in line.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa skipped a meeting called by the disgruntled leaders. He welcomed Baghel at the Chandigarh airport on his arrival. Warring arrived at the airport separately, where his supporters raised slogans in his favour as Baghel was welcomed with garlands.
Maintaining distance from Warring at the airport, Bajwa, along with OP Soni, Harry Mann and Vikram Chaudhary, received Baghel. Soni was present at the show of strength at Channi’s Morinda residence on Friday.
Warring was missing at a high tea hosted by Bajwa for Baghel at his Chandigarh residence. After meeting Bajwa, Baghel said he was on a five-day visit to chair meetings of various election-related committees. “I will be meeting members of the committees, district Congress presidents and Youth Congress leaders,” he said. He avoided questions on the growing factionalism in the party, saying he had just arrived in Chandigarh.
Bajwa said, “The entire party stands by the decision of the party high command. There are some issues which will be sorted out. We will fight the elections unitedly.”
All eyes on today’s meeting
Baghel has called the heads of the campaign committee (Charanjit Channi), core committee (Sukhjinder Randhawa), election management and coordinaton committee (Vijay Inder Singla) and manifesto committee (Amar Singh). Apart from Amar Singh and Singla, who met Baghel today, other leaders are likely to skip the meeting.
Ex-MLA Jalalpur gets show-cause notice
Jalandhar: The disciplinary committee of the state Congress has issued a show-cause notice to former Ghanaur MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur for allegedly making insulting comments against the party high command in his interaction with the media.
In the notice, committee chairman Avtar Henry has asked Jalalpur to explain his side within three days, failing which disciplinary action would be taken against him.
The notice comes three days after Jalalpur went to former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s residence in Morinda and told media that the party leadership must listen to the masses and Channi should be given a chance to lead the party in the state.
Pargat in Channi camp?
After staying away from the show of strength organised by former CM Charanjit Singh Channi at his residence in Morinda last Friday, former minister Pargat Singh was seen with him during a gathering convened by a group of Congress leaders at Mohali.
He had earlier avoided standing with Channi, himself being an aspirant for the post of state Congress chief.
