A month ago, the Congress was looking at making a comeback as a strong Opposition party by cornering the Narendra Modi government on the issue of its mismanaging the Covid-19 crisis. The party had postponed its presidential elections, citing the ongoing second wave of the pandemic, but the departure of former Union minister Jitin Prasada has again put the focus back on the crisis within the party.
Jitin Prasada, who used to be considered a close aide of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, snapped three generational ties with the party and joined the BJP on Wednesday. Sources say that Prasada’s exit has given a fresh lease of life to dissenters in various state units, especially in Punjab and Rajasthan.
On Thursday, the three-member panel set up to end factionalism in the Punjab state unit of Congress submitted its report to party chief Sonia Gandhi. According to the sources, the panel has given various recommendations to the party president. These recommendations include political adjustment of Captain Amrinder Singh’s nemesis and former Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu. The committee has noted that the Chief Minister does not give time to the party MLAs and the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) needs to be revamped.
The panel was chaired by Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab Harish Rawat and former MP J.P. Agarwal. According to a source familiar with the development, the panel has suggested that all sections, castes and regions be accommodated in the party revamp.
People familiar with the developments also said that Navjot Singh Sidhu will be “suitably accommodated”. In the revamp, Sidhu’s name is doing rounds for elevation to the post of deputy chief minister. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will take a decision on the recommendations made by the panel.
On the other hand, in Rajasthan, the Sachin Pilot camp which had staged a near successful coup against Ashok Gehlot government last year is running out of patience. Sachin Pilot himself has expressed his dismay against the party leadership for not addressing his grievances in the last 10 months.
Pilot is understood to have conveyed his demands to the party high command which includes accommodation of his supporting MLAs in the Gehlot ministry, political appointments in the state boards and corporations and in the PCC.
June 11 is going to be important for Rajasthan Congress as Sachin Pilot is expected to participate in a function at Dausa district on the occasion of the death anniversary of his late father and former stalwart of Congress party Rajesh Pilot. Last year’s rebellion’s script was written on the same occasion at the same place. However, given the Covid protocol, this function is going to be a low-key affair, but a message to Ashok Gehlot and the Congress high command is expected to be delivered from Dausa.