The elevation of Amritsar MP Capt Amarinder Singh as the Punjab Congress president on Friday sparked off celebrations in his camp while outgoing president, Partap Singh Bajwa, was left with a few close aides, who were with him at his residence during the day.
While Capt supporters made a beeline to Delhi and flocked to his house, leaders and workers back home said they were relieved that the party would at least be able to put up a fight in the 2017 elections. “At least, the infighting will end now. I am glad that the party has taken a decision and ended this tug-of-war that was on for two years. We will now have one enemy, the ruling combine,” said a party MLA, considered neutral, who has been studiously avoiding being part of both the Bajwa and Capt camps.
Though he has won his battle with Bajwa, Amarinder now faces a far greater task of making a party, that has lost two successive elections, attractive in a state that appears to be looking at alternate choices. And his party workers appear to be looking at him with expectation but Amarinder does come with the baggage of having a “laid back attitude” that has often come under sharp criticism in the past.
The advent of AAP, which is planning a massive door-to-door campaign in the state, has shifted the focus to the grassroots. The Congress thus needs a leader who is able to quickly cover the already-lost ground.
The party has done its bit by not handing the reins to him alone. The wise old man of Congress, Lal Singh, has been assigned as the senior vice-president of the state unit while the appointment of Delhi-based Ambika Soni as the chairman of campaign committee, is being seen as the high command’s way of putting their agent in Punjab.
‘Diligent leader who lost the plot’
The outgoing Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa had a quiet exit unlike Capt Amarinder Singh, who refused to accept his earlier ouster in April 2013. Bajwa was left with a few close aides on Friday but he had already been isolated in the party after most MLAs had switched sides to bete-noire, Amarinder, in their factional battle.
Considered a diligent leader and credited with resurrecting the Congress after two successive assembly election defeats, Bajwa saw people rallying behind him for quite a few months. His organising of rallies in various districts had even made the ruling SAD to sit up and take note.
Rumblings in the Congress against Bajwa first began only after he reorganised the PPCC. Though the move was as per the directions of AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who wanted a young brigade to take charge, it was Bajwa who faced the flak and began losing popularity.
Having been picked by Rahul to lead the party, Bajwa subsequently received fierce support from the party high command that did not leave any stone unturned to curb the revolt he faced. Rahul personally came down to Punjab twice to strengthen his position.
Bajwa’s critics did grow with time as allegations of mistrust and autocracy surfaced against him; he was subsequently left alone. The tables really turned after Capt Amarinder defeated BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley in the Lok Sabha elections.
Amarinder, who was deserted by most of Congressmen, found his lost ground after Amritsar battle. He stole the show from Bajwa by organising parallel rallies, holding luncheons to show his show of strength and popularity.
After Amritsar, Amarinder intensified his anti-Bajwa campaign. But even after over a year and half, the party high command stood by Bajwa and did not remove him.
Baffled at not being handed over the reins, Amarinder had even criticised Rahul. With the Congress almost going against its will by bringing back Amarinder, his critics are crying hoarse that it has set a bad precedent.