CHANDIGARH: The crisis in the Punjab Congress deepened last week with a section of the party including several ministers demanding change in the leadership of the Congress Legislature Party.
The demand was made at a meeting attended by about 43 MLAs [as claimed by the organizers}, MPs and former MPs. Assembly Speaker Harnam Dass Johan was also present. The meeting was ostensibly convened to discuss the debacle of the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections in the state and the target of attack was Chief Minister Harcharan Singh Brar, The decision to convene this formal meeting was taken last week at the dinner hosted in the honor of Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder, former Union Minister who is one of the two MPs elected in this election from the state.
Briefing media persons in between, former Union Minister Buta Singh said the dominant view was that effective leadership should be brought in to galvanize the party to face the Akalis forcefully in the forthcoming Assembly elections. The speakers referred to the damage done by the Akali Dal (Badal) Bahujan Samaj Party to the Congress in the slate, He said a number of speakers also blamed the state administration for contributing to the party debacle. It was pointed not that the administration either remained indifferent or worked against the Congress.
Buta Singh said the party high command would be appraised of the situation and also the dominant view at the meeting. The party high command would be urged tore’ > situation with the state party leaders. Of them left for Delhi immediately after meetings and others left to meet the party high command.
The ministers present included Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Joginder Singh Mann, Malt Thapar, R.C. Dogra, Sajawar Singh, Harminder Jassi and Raghunath Sahai Pun. Sources said two other ministers, Partap Singh Bajwa and Raman Bhallahad made some submission in writing and as such, there was treated as part of this group.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 12, 1996
