‘Tainted’ on Amarinder list,resentment brews in Cong

Several prominent leaders,who did not wish to be named,said many of those chargesheeted or indicted had been given top positions while ignoring merit. “The PPCC list has several tainted leaders facing cases,such as Chaudhary Jagjit Singh (Ludhiana City Centre scam),Lal Singh (indicted by Lokpal) and Arvind Khanna (case filed by CBI for receiving foreign remittances in dollars without permission). How can the party be expected to speak against corruption in the coming polls when we have such people as PPCC office-bearers? There is deep resentment among those left out for making place for these people. We will approach the high command to express our disappointment,” a senior Congress leader said. Notably,both MLA Lal Singh and former MLA Arvind Khanna figure as vice-presidents of the PPCC,besides members of the manifesto committee. Some other leaders see the list as loaded heavily with those who are not even MLAs. “Some of them have lost state or parliamentary elections. Out of the 43 MLAs,17 have been accommodated as vice-presidents,executive committee members or invitees,” said another Congress MLA.

There are others who see the list with the skepticism they deserve. “The central leadership has to do a balancing act by accommodating leaders from Jat Sikh and backward classes while keeping different factions in the party in good humour. So the list has Fateh Singh Bajwa,brother of MP Pratap Singh Bajwa,Vikram Singh Bajwa,son-in-law of Congress Legislative Party leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal,Amarinder’s son Raninder Singh besides some loyalists of Jagmeet Brar. Some have found a place for being prominent leaders from Jat Sikh and backward classes (Lal Singh) while some woman leaders have made it to the list to make up for women representation,” said a senior Congress leader who was earlier in the PPCC.

Among those left out,not all are resentful. “I am a first-time MLA. There are already many Jat Sikh leaders,so I was not expected to be there. I never asked to be included. But I think the party has done a fine balancing act,” said Qila Raiput MLA Jassi Khangura.