Capt leaves it to SC, Cong waits

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is back to square one. After pushing a legislation to circumvent the Supreme Court on meeting ...

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is back to square one. After pushing a legislation to circumvent the Supreme Court on meeting the deadline for handing over the SYL canal project to the Centre, he now says that a 8216;8216;judicial review8217;8217; on the issue will be final.

8216;8216;I have always maintained that the final decision would be judicial review following Presidential reference. We will agree by whatever the judiciary says,8217;8217; he said today.

Sources said PM Manmohan Singh has made it clear to the Punjab CM that he will have to abide by the SC verdict. They add the Congress high command, even though cut up with Amarinder for keeping it in the dark while terminating water pacts with states, is waiting for the SC verdict.

The CM met Law Minister H.R. Bhardwaj today. He later dismissed the suggestion that he may resign if the SC verdict went against him. 8216;8216;There is no connection between the two,8217;8217; the CM said. Asked about his future course of action if the SC ruling went against Punjab, the CM just said that he will take steps to 8216;8216;defend my state8217;8217;.

He also dismissed the idea that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was unhappy with him. 8216;8216;If she is angry, I am sure she will tell me on my face. I have sought an appointment with her,8217;8217; he said. It is another matter that he hasn8217;t got an audience since he got the controversial Bill passed.

Amarinder has not only undermined the high command and the party8217;s commitment to a federal polity, but has also damaged Congress8217; prospects in Haryana, which is going to polls early next year. However, the leadership is reluctant to act against him out of the fear that any punishment may boost his popularity and isolate Congress in Punjab.

The high command knows that the CM8217;s stocks have soared following the decision to terminate water-sharing agreements. The popularity of the move can be gauged from the fact that even his rival Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal and dissident leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal accompanied him to the Governor to request for his assent to the Bill.