Like Gandhi family in Congress, only Badal can keep Akali Dal united, says Randhawa

Excerpts:

What is your analysis of the Lok Sabha results for Congress in Punjab and your victory from Gurdaspur which had been considered a traditional seat of the BJP?

The Congress led in 38 Assembly segments as compared to the AAP which led in 33 segments. The Congress needs to really work harder. We will have to ponder over the vote share which was reduced to 26.3 per cent [from 40.12 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls]. We could have won 11 seats (as compared to seven which Congress won). We could not perform well in Malwa. We will have to focus on Malwa. This is unfortunate that a few party leaders are projecting themselves as chief ministerial faces after the results. We would have surely won Bathinda had Amrinder Singh Raja Warring been fielded from there. Vijay Inder Singla could have won from Anandpur Sahib had his candidature announcement wasn’t delayed. He got less time (to campaign), but even then he gave a tough fight. As far as my victory is concerned, I won from Gurdaspur because every single worker of Congress put in their best efforts. Leave aside leaders, it was due to the support of party workers that I won. To strengthen the party, we will need to instil confidence among workers that the party will always stand by them. We will need to promote those who stood by the party during adverse times and not those who become a liability. Those who stand by the party through thick and thin are assets and need to be preserved. In this election, people have rejected the ‘Aaya ram, gaya ram’ culture. People don’t like leaders who switch sides.

Is Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal (who quit Congress and went on to win on AAP ticket from Hoshiarpur) an exception?

Congress did not work seriously there (in Hoshiarpur). Also, the party candidate was also new. Raj Kumar could have been defeated too. Just 44,000 votes (the margin of 44,111 votes by which Kumar won) are nothing in a parliamentary election.

[Leader of the opposition] Partap Singh Bajwa and [Jalandhar MP and former CM] Charanjit Singh Channi recently visited Sunder Sham Arora (who had quit Congress to join BJP) triggering a buzz that he could be back in the Congress fold. Bajwa and Channi have though reportedly called it a family meeting. What is your take?

I will oppose re-entry of Arora and everyone who did not stand by the party during its tough times. And when it is called a family meeting, I want to say here that they should have visited the houses of district Congress president and block Congress president. They are also part of Congress family.

According to you, which political party will be Congress’s main competitor in 2027 Punjab election?

Nothing could be said as of now. Things will be clearer after Akali Dal performance in by-election (in five Assembly constituencies). And I would like to point out that like Congress cannot remain united without Gandhi family, in Punjab Akali Dal cannot remain united without Badal family. Sukhbir (Badal) will have to introspect why Taksali Akalis felt ignored. A weakened Akali Dal will mean a weak Punjab. It is due to the vacuum created by a weak Akali Dal that Amritpal Singh and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa went on to win the election. The panthic vote which was angry with Shiromani Akali Dal voted for likes of Amritpal. Baptism, espousing the cause of (Sikh) community and bringing Sikh youth in Sikhi saroop were the responsibilities of Akali Dal which all Amritpal took away. Akali Dal will need to turn to its core agenda. What the (Akali Dal controlled) Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) was supposed to do is being done either by deras or likes of Amritpal. SGPC has been politicised. The vacuum could end only if SGPC is put back on the task of propagating the Sikh religion.

BJP has gained a lot in terms of vote share. How do you see that?

Farm agitation has been a big issue and there has been polarisation of Hindus by the BJP in Punjab. And this is unprecedented which did not happen even during terrorism. The good thing, however, is that it is a temporary phase.

Congress will have to strengthen Hindu leadership. During terrorism, Hindu, Sikh and SC leaders worked in unison and there was nothing communal. This time, it is very dangerous. But, these two phases shall pass, one relating to Amritpal and the other one of Hindu polarisation, bringing back secular politics in the state.

The BJP has chosen Ravneet Bittu as Union Minister of State. What is your take on that?

(Punjab BJP president) Sunil Jakhar when he (Jakhar) was in the Congress cried foul saying that he was ignored and not considered as Punjab CM being a Hindu. Why is he quiet now? Bittu is now making statements on Bandi Singhs and I want to ask when he was in Opposition why he did not remember Bandi Singhs and gave any statement. If Bittu is sincere, before (former Punjab CM Beant Singh’s assassin) Balwant Singh Rajoana, Bittu should take up the matter of release of eight to nine other Bandi Singhs like Devinderpal Singh Bhullar and others. Their release will require a one-line order from Centre government.

Since you have been elected as MP, what about your role in state politics?

I will remain associated with state politics being Gurdaspur MP. Apart from Gurdaspur, I will raise issues concerning entire Punjab as to why the state is being ignored. We will speak for Punjab more than three AAP MPs (from the state). I would also like to add here that ruling AAP in Punjab is in confrontation with Centre on the issue of non-release of RDF (rural development funds). In 2002 too, when Congress government was in Punjab, there was an issue of non-release of funds to the state and we had sat on a dharna outside PM’s residence. Punjab is not ‘jagir’ of AAP. So far, the AAP government in Punjab has not called an all-party meeting. We will have to raise our voice jointly for Punjab.