CHANDIGARH: The intervention of the Congress high command has failed to resolve the crisis in the Congress Legislature Party in Punjab as the allocations of the portfolios has left the supporters of Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal dissatisfied. Bhattal, who rushed to Delhi from Ludhiana August 11th, has met former Union Minister Pranab Mukherjee and AICC joint secretary Ambika Soni to lodge her protest over what is being described as “unfair” distribution of portfolios by Chief Minister Harcharan Sin Brar and his attitude towards rival camp.
Sources in Delhi said the power sharing was supposed to be fair between the two camps as per the poet p formula evolved by the high commands. Bhattal was to be consulted by the Chief Minister on all the important matters. She was not even invited at a meeting of the senior civil and police officers by Brar here on Saturday. Finance Minister Kewal Krishan was present at the meeting.
Meanwhile in Ludhiana, the decision to rush to Delhi was taken after closed door meeting here lasting for more than one and a half hour. Former Union minister Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder, MP, was also present. According to the sources, the ministers belong to the Bhattal camp took strong exception to the old style of functioning of the Chief Minister besides expressing resentment over Brar’s indifferent behavior during the function to commemorate Quit India movement at Jalandhar. Dissatisfaction over the distribution of portfolios was another point over.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 14, 1996
