War of egos in Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee

Wednesday, 05/06/2013

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/news/war-of-egos-in-punjab-pradesh-congress-committee/80511

CHANDIGARH: Has the Punjab Pradesh Congress Leadership learnt any lesson from the two successive defeats of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha polls in 2007 and 2012? The answer to this question is big No. The leadership of the Pradesh congress continues to be in a tug of war. In fact this can be described as war of ‘egos’ because every leader thinks himself to be superior to the other.

Instead of uniting to put up a united fight against the alleged excesses of the Shiromani Akali Dal led State Government, they are engaged in fight of one-upmanship and to bring down one another. The latest evidence of such a fight has been provided in village Mann in the Lambi constituency of the Chief Minister where more than 150 persons were booked under various charges of IPS for violence in the zila parishad and block samities elections held on may 19. More than half a dozen cars were burnt and booths were captured by the mob which was allegedly led by a relation of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

The Punjab Pradesh Congress President Partap Singh Bajwa announced to lead a march to Mann village to protest against the police highhandedness and inesided action against the congress workers. The preparations for the protest which was held on May 27 were being made when Jagmeet Singh Brar a member of the congress working committee and a senior congress leader of the Punjab led a protest march to Mann village one day before the march by the PPCC chief. This was to pre-empt the march by Bajwa.

Jagmeet Singh Brar could definitely join the march led by Bajwa but to establish his leadership in the area, he took the initiative of taking the lead. The President held a demonstration as decided on May 27 starting from native village of chief minister…and got good response from the people and the congress workers.

Ego of Jagmeet Brar could not be satisfied with one day march and he organized another march after the protest by Bajwa. Jagmeet Brar sat on dharna at Badal village to demand action against the culprits but the local leaders of the Congress including the elected MLAs and former legislators did not join him. He continued his dharna for 24 hours and withdrew after an assurance of impartial enquiry by the DIG of the area. Shall he get the impartial enquiry under the existing circumstances.

Jagmeet Brar has not gained any mileage out his two attempts except that he could get publicity in the media. On the other hand, the single handed protest by him has exposed the chinks in the Pradesh Congress benefit of which would go to the Akali Dal. This step of Jagmeet has definitely weakened the Punjab Congress Chief’s efforts to unite the cadre.

This writer has known Jagmeet Brar for the past more than 30 years and by temperament he cannot adjust himself with any leader. He could go along with Darbara Singh only who appointed as Administrative member of the Punjab State Electricity Board. He has been at loggerheads with all the successive chief ministers of the Congress including Beant Singh, Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Harcharan Singh Brar and Captain Amarinder Singh.

Jagmeet’s father late Gurmeet Singh Brar who was civil supplies minister in the Badal Cabinet was deadly opposed to Badal and he died early due to stress. After the death of his father, Jagmeet fought one vidhan sabha election against Parkash Singh Badal in 1985 from Gidderbaha and lost. After that he contested against Sukhbir Singh Badal and lost and won once. At present his political credibility has gone down in the Malwa.

Jagmeet has been trying hard to get the presidentship of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee but has failed sofar. This has made him frustrated. Even otherwise, he is rumoured to have some sort of understanding with the Badals.

Now when the Lok Sabha polls are due to be held in a year’s time, it is time for the Congress in Punjab to close its ranks. Bajwa, no doubt does not have the clout of Amarinder Singh, but once the congress high command has made him the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, the leadership of the Punjab Congress needs to extend cooperation and support to him.

So far he has been fighting single handedly and has put up a good fight against the Akalis. While Bajwa needs to seek the cooperation of leaders like Amarinder Singh who commands respect in the Malwa belt, Amarinder Singh should also extend him the desired cooperation in order to put up a united face.

It is a fact that the Congress lost vidhan sabha elections in 2007, but it is also a fact that under the leadership of Amarinder Singh Congress secured eight out of thirteen seats of Lok Sabha in 2009 polls. The Congress is getting boost now after the panchayat elections in the state and they have given a tough contest to the Akali Dal despite the police pressure and hooliganism indulged in by the goons of the Akali Dal.

It is right time for the top brass of the Punjab congress to sink their differences and work in unison to win the maximum number of lok sabha seats because congress needs maximum seats for the Lok Sabha to form UPA III.

The mood of the Punjabis is also anti-SAD-BJP Government due to alleged highhandedness of the police, deterioration in law and order and activities of sand and land mafia. The Congress leadership must exploit the situation; this is the call of the day