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Bhattal
appointed Punjab Congress chief
WSN Network
Chandigarh: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has appointed
former Punjab chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal as the leader of
the state unit of the party. The announcement was made in the
national capital, where the party announced its organisational
reshuffle. In another change in the party affairs, Margaret Alva
replaced Janardhan Dwiwedi as the Congress party's incharge of its
Punjab affairs.
“It’s a great
responsibility and I am overwhelmed by the faith reposed in me by
Soniaji. She made me the CLP (Congress legislature party) leader
earlier, and now PPCC (Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee) chief. I
shall try to come up to her expectations,” an elated Bhattal told
media persons.
Her predecessor,
Shamsher Singh Dullo had put in his papers immediately after the
assembly election debacle in February, taking moral responsibility
for the defeat. Though his resignation was accepted in March, he was
asked to continue till alternate arrangements were made. Needless to
say, it led to hectic lobbying for the post.
Interestingly,
Bhattal was not even in the reckoning. Appointed CLP leader, the
party’s ‘one-man one-post’ ensured she remained out of
consideration. However, it so appears, the party decided to make an
exception in her case. The arrangement is likely to continue till
the Lok Sabha elections since Mohinder Singh Kaypee has been
appointed “the working president to share the responsibilities of
the office”, suggesting that there is little possibility of her
being replaced as CLP leader.
Party sources
revealed that Bhattal emerged the winner after other contenders —
former minister Partap Singh Bajwa and MP Jagmit Brar — lost the
plot as they indulged in the game of upmanship. However, they added,
the development is likely to kick off another round of intensified
infighting in the run up to parliamentary elections due in another
two years.
Besides, Bhattal has a far wider acceptability in the party,
especially now that it is known that she has the support of party
high command. With Kaypee as “acting president”, the party will also
keep intact its Dalit support base.
Admitting to
differences within the party, the leader of opposition claimed that
the party has been united for the past few months. Laying out her
priorities, she said: “The party will fight the politics of
victimisation of opponents unleashed by the Parkash Singh Badal-led
government. I will not allow the parties carrying the agenda of
vendetta politics and will also face the challenge by those forces
that want to divide the country on religious lines. Amarinder Singh
is my senior in the party and also like a brother to me. Together we
will fight the SAD-BJP combine in the state.”
Daughter of renowned
freedom fighter Hira Singh Bhattal and born in 1945, Bhattal is the
third woman, after Sarla Prashar and Ambika Soni, to head the party
in the state. She will hold the post for the second time now, having
held it earlier too in the nineties.
Besides, she was
elected the CLP leader for the second time this March, thus becoming
the first woman in the state to occupy the posts of CLP leader and
party president.
26
September, 2007
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