Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 8

In a move to counter the Majha brigade in the Punjab Congress, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today appointed the traditional party leader from Majitha, Sukhjinder Raj Singh (Lalli Majithia), as the Chairman of Punjab State Grain Procurement Corporation (Pungrain).

The post had fallen vacant after the death of former Chief Secretary YS Ratra in April. The Majha brigade, comprising Cabinet ministers Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Sukhjinder Randhawa along with some MLAs, had reportedly joined hands with the dissidents against the CM.

So far, they had been the epicentre of power dynamics in the state Congress. From playing an important role in the Gurdaspur parliamentary byelections in 2018, which saw Sunil Jakhar winning, to siding with the CM, the Majha leaders had been in the forefront. The CM had been giving prominence to the Majha brigade to outwit his opponents like Partap Bajwa.

But the power dynamics changed after the Majha leaders joined the league of leaders who have started questioning the Chief Minister on delayed justice in sacrilege and police firing cases and other unfulfilled poll promises such as ending the drug mafia, transport mafia besides other issues.

Party legislators said the CM should remove the retired bureaucrats appointed in different government bodies, and instead appoint traditional Congress leaders.

“Through the appointment of Lalli Majithia, the Chief Minister wants to give a message that he is supporting leaders who fought against Akali leader Bikram Majithia, who represents the Majitha Assembly segment. It is also being seen as a move to destroy the narrative of friendly match with the Akalis,” said a senior party leader.

Change in power dynamics behind move

• The Majha brigade, comprising Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Sukhbinder Sarkaria and Sukhjinder Randhawa, has been the epicentre of power dynamics
• But things changed after it joined leaders questioning the CM on sacrilege and police firing cases
• “Through Lalli Majithia (L), the CM wants to give a message that he is backing leaders who fought Bikram Majithia. It’s also being seen as a move to destroy the narrative of ‘friendly match’ with Akalis,” says a senior party leader

Capt meets MPs ahead of Kharge report

• The three-member Mallikarjun Kharge panel is expected to submit its report in a day or two to the party high command on infighting in Punjab Congress
• CM Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday evening met Lok Sabha MPs Manish Tewari, Ravneet Bittu, Gurjeet Aujla, Jasbir Singh Gill and others to discuss ways to end the infighting
• The MPs, who had met the CM when he had appeared before the panel on June 4, have come in his support