Process of revamping Congress begins, Amarinder’s home Patiala tops the list

Chandigarh : In continuation of political squabbling the process for revamping the Punjab Pradesh Congress ha begun at grassroot level. The first phase list tops former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s home constituency Patiala.

AICC general secretary in charge of the party’s affairs Harish Chaudhary leading the Senior Congress leaders, have started interacting with the workers in Patiala on Sunday. On the first day, noticeable absentees included Patiala MP and Captain’s wife Preneet Kaur.

The Captain Amarinder Singh has recently announced his official resignation from the Congress Party and has also announced his new political party name, ‘Punjab Lok Congress.’ Meanwhile Kaur is yet to resign from Congress.

Sources from Congress have stated that Senior Leaders are holding meetings with various district level leaders, and are interacting at grassroot level. Patiala was chosen as the first constituency for a rejig to `shunt out’ all leaders in the area who happen to be close to Captain, they said.

The Patiala unit has seen pro and anti-Captain leaders taken on each other. “Lots of confusion in Patiala given that some leaders still are cozying up to the former CM. Hence, it is important to send out a message to such elements. That’s why rejig here is very necessary,’’ commented a leader.

Senior leaders said that the meeting would ensure that the Captain stamp on the district Congress is removed. It is the first such rejig meeting called by Chaudhary after taking over from Harish Rawat. “The meetings will continue for the next few days after which Patiala congress will get a new body in place which doesn’t have anyone close to Capt on board,’’ another leader said.

Sources said that appointments in the Congress district unit, posts of Patiala mayor and many chairmen were being discussed and party workers will be heard before any decision was made. They said that leaders led by Madan Lala Jalalpur, known from the anti-Captain camp, were calling the shots now, vis-à-vis, restructuring at the grassroot level in Patiala.