Trouble brewing for Congress

At the time when the Congress party in Punjab is struggling to fulfill its pre-poll promises and its Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh is being criticised for maharaja style functioning that too ahead the crucial Shahkot assembly by-poll, troubles are brewing in for grand old party.

Congress national president Rahul Gandhi has sought a complete report from party’s general secretary Ashok Gehlot after three MLAs — Randeep Singh Nabha, Amrik Singh Dhillon, and Rakesh Pandey — on Tuesday met him accusing the Chief Minister of “ignoring their seniority” while inducting new ministers in his Cabinet.

The three MLAs, on May 14, had resigned as the members of various Vidhan Sabha committees as a mark of protest against being “ignored” in the recent cabinet expansion, and now refused ti tak back their resignations.

Six-time Ludhiana (North) MLA Pandey had resigned as Undertaking Committee chairman, while Amloh MLA Nabha resigned from the membership of the same committee and Samrala MLA Dhillon resigned from the chairmanship of the Library Committee of the House.

So much so, one of the MLA told The Pioneer, before the meeting, that they are also considering to resign from the party posts also but any decision would be taken after taking with the party high command.

During the short meeting that lasted for about 10 minutes, the senior MLAs from the state Nabha (Amloh), Dhillon (Samrala), and Pandey (Ludhiana North) reportedly complained against the Chief Minister, his style of functioning, and also the government’s performance.

“We have put forth our case before the party high command, and the party president listened to us very attentively and patiently. He has asked us to meet the party’s secretary general to give him our stand and he will then give report to the party chief,” said Samrala MLA Dhillon.

The three were not the first one to take the protest for being ignored during the cabinet expansion to Delhi Durbar. Earlier, the party leader and legislators, including Cabinet Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, and Deputy Speaker Ajaib Singh Bhatti, representing dalits and backward class, had raise the issue of not giving adequate representation to the communities in the Cabinet.

Party’s senior Dalit leader Raj Kumar Verka had also raised the issue with Rahul Gandhi.

Moreover, three MLA from Dalit and backward class — Sangat Singh Gilzian, Surjit Dhiman, and Nathu Ram — have tendered their resignations from the party posts.

Notably, the Cabinet expansion exercise has ruffled many feathers with many senior MLAs airing their dissent in public, besides personally taking up the matter with the party’s national president.

In fact, many of the sulking MLAs have even refused to accept the Chief Minister’s “lollipop” offer for the chairmanship of various boards and corporations of the state government, while some of them have even refused to accept the proposed post of ‘legislative assistants’.

Even as the state party leadership has been maintaining that rebellious voices have been calmed, the recent outburst by three sitting MLAs may put a spanner in Congress’ campaign for Shahkot assembly bypoll, scheduled for May 28.

Congress has a total of 77 MLAs, and only 18 can become the Ministers. Capt Amarinder, after cabinet expansion, had assured that all the Congress MLAs, who had not found place in the Council of Ministers, would be inducted into various Boards and Corporations.

Notably, the party and the government is preparing a list to ‘adjust’ the MLAs in various boards and corporations. Out of 62-odd boards and corporations, only eight can have an MLA as chairman.

However, the government is proposing amendments in the rules of boards and corporations to adjust the MLAs as their chairman so they do not attract office of profit clause.

The ordinance making amendments to the Punjab Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1952, that prohibits elected representatives from holding any office of profit will be soon brought before the Cabinet.