Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badals offer of ushering in an era of consensus politics in Punjab failed to cut ice with new state Congress chief,Partap Singh Bajwa. Snubbing CMs offer,Bajwa Tuesday said Badal cannot offer an olive branch to him while browbeating Congress workers. The CM has led a regime of discrimination and intimidation. We are in a direct fight with his government. He has refused to give matching state grants for development projects for constituencies of Opposition MPs and MLAs. We will meet the CM with a list of our demands,but I will not buy his offer of consensus politics, Bajwa said. On invoking legislators to take a collective pledge in Golden Temple to remain loyal to the party,Bajwa said he wanted the MLAs to take a solemn pledge as a symbolic gesture to fight against anti-people policies of the government. It would give people the feeling that we stand united for their cause, he added. A day after the Congress Legislature Party meeting saw fireworks over loyalty tests and the issue of expletives,all was calm and quiet on Tuesday as the party decided to bury the differences to fight the common enemy. Leader of Opposition,Sunil Jakhar,set the tone and tenor of the meeting saying they have to put forward issues and problems of the people and confront the government. It was decided that the party will lodge its protest through debates,adjourment motions and not walkouts. Almost all the party MLAs aired their views during the meeting that lasted for nearly two hours. For budget debate,it was decided that speakers from the party should seek help of economists to counter governments claims. Some MLAs said there was deep resentment among urban voters over the imposition of property tax. Bajwa later said that Congress will ask people not to pay the property tax. To foot the mounting bill for free power to farmers,they are taxing the urban voters. Akali Dal has already freed itself from the clutches of the BJP and wants to boost its rural base through urban voters, Bajwa said. Playing down Mondays events,he said every party has differences. MLAs have the right to air their views. There is no groupism in Congress. We have to fight the tyranny of the ruling alliance unitedly.
