CHANDIGARH: The faction ridden Congress party in Punjab may miss an important opportunity to revive the party before the 2027 Vidhan Sabha elections if it fails to perform in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Congress had lost the 2022 assembly election for similar conditions which are prevailing in 2024.
In 2022 the Congress party over relied on Captain Amarinder Singh and faced an embarrassment after finding that the latter is damaging the party from within due to his alleged 'covert' political affiliation with BJP. Congress high command was delaying action against former CM Captain Amarinder due to dilemma of acting against a leader larger than his life. Finally when action was taken it was too late and damage was already done.
In 2024 when Congress is preparing for the Lok Sabha polls and state leadership fixe the target to make a come back in 2027, the party is found struggling to handle Navjot Sidhu who is in the direct conflict with the PPCC leadership. Incidently, Navjot Sidhu was also in confrontation with Capt Amarinder Singh in 2021 being PPCC president.
The Congress high command is not yet acting on the advice of PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and CLP leader Partap Singh Bajwa. They are pressing the party high command to decipline Navjot Sidhu and stop him from holding parallel political rallies in the state. They pleaded that a wrong message was going to party cadre as Sidhu is discrediting the present leadership. Bajwa had blamed party had lost elections under Navjot Sidhu and he has no right to blame others.
Sidhu has created controversy by holding series of political ralies without the consent and participatin of PPCC president and the newly appointed state incharge Devender Yadav. Sidhu didn't even attend the first meeting of Devender Yadav with state Congress leaders, MPs and MLAs in Congress Bhawan Chandigarh. Sidhu addressed a rally in Hoshiarpur on that day. Going a step further, he held another rally on January 18 at Moga going against the advice of Yadav.
Yadav claimed that party high command was in the knowledge of prevailing situation in Punjab Congress but high command seems in no hurry to control the damage. The traditional party leaders like Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Partap Singh Bajwa are not ready to work under Navjot Sidhu who target them in his rallies. Sidhu's speeches are centered on proving himself an honest political leader and tarnishing the image of other Congress leaders, calling them 'thieves' and 'shareholders' in misdeeds of previous governments. Sidhu has support of a section of the Congress leaders who stood by him during confrontation with Capt Amarinder Singh.
The differences between Sidhu and PPCC president further widened after the Moga rally. The party has issued show cause notice to former Congress MLA Maheshinder Singh and his son Dharampal Singh for organising the event in violation of party directions. Sidhu was however not issued any notice but party high command was alerted about his conduct, party sources said. Warring had previusly twice warned Sidhu of action if he would not mend his ways.
Sidhu was appointed PPCC president few months before the assembly elections of 2022 but he lost the post after party's defeat in assembly elections. Sidhu also lost his own seat in Amritsar. In the given circumstances, Sidhu may not be re-appointed party president and technically he is not eligible to ecome the CLP leader. Howeber, the confusion persists over future role of Sidhu. If there is no role for Sidhu in the Congress party, then how the party high command would be using his services. Yet there is another possibility which can't be ruled out-Sidhu forming his own party in the run up for next assembly elections. This is remote possibility only if Congress would not suitably accomodate Sidhu.
The Congress high command is standing on the same cross roads once again. The Lok Sabha elections are aroudn the corner and it is an important opportunity for the party to test its waters and mobilise the party cadres for 2027 Vidhan Sabha poll. Congress is main opposition party in the state and it has better chances to perform as compared to Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP. AAP has won the 2022 elections only because disappointed cadre of Congress and SAD voted against them. It is another story.