JALANDHAR: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Virendra Kataria recently said that there was every possibility of an electoral alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Punjab. Addressing a press conference here, Kataria said the matter was being discussed at various levels and may materialize at an opportune time. He said the BSP was not an untouchable for the Congress as it was not a communal party but merely a party of have-nots and the downtrodden. Any alliance with the BSP would be purely an electoral compulsion to prevent the BJP or the Akalis form coming to power in the state, he added. Reflecting on party matter, Kataria admitted that the prolonged spell of infighting and dissidence in the Punjab Congress had damaged the party image. He, however, ruled out the imposition of Governor’s rule in the state. On the proposed package to quell dissidence in the party units, he said that while both the groups have agreed to the proposals, some fresh problems have cropped up. Commenting on the demand of some Congressmen for the resignation of Narasimha Rao for his alleged involvement in the Lakhu Bai Pathak case, Kataria said that nobody should ditch the Congress president during the troubled times, He also announced that Varinder Sharma will henceforth Bethe press secretary of the Punjab Congress. The other office-bearers will be announced soon. He said he along with Chief Minister H.S. Brar will soon be touring the state. Kataria said some of the MLAs were not satisfied with the Chief Minister’s style of functioning and had conveyed their feelings to the party president. According to him, in a democracy, everyone had a right to express his views.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 24, 1996
