Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met five senior Punjab leaders on Sunday, urging them to fight the upcoming assembly elections collectively. He asserted that the party has a "very good chance" in the state amid speculation about organisational changes in its Punjab unit.
Meeting Details and Attendees
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Pratap Singh Bajwa, former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, and senior leaders Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Vijay Inder Singla met Rahul Gandhi at 10, Janpath, Sonia Gandhi's residence. Punjab is scheduled to go to polls early next year.
Leaders Express Commitment
After the meeting, Bajwa told reporters, "I put forward my viewpoint on what is best for the party, and I've said whatever decision you (Rahul Gandhi) take, we will stand by that. We are committed soldiers of the Congress. Our families have sacrificed for the interest of Punjab, for the unity and integrity of this nation." He added, "The leadership decision is with Rahul, whatever position he may give or not give, we stand by him."
One-on-One Consultations
Gandhi met the five leaders separately to get their views on the roadmap for the Punjab Assembly polls, according to the leaders who attended. A source privy to the meetings said, "Rahul Gandhi's message was, 'You have to fight collectively, Punjab is an important state, and we stand a very good chance.' The leaders shared their views on the leadership issue and the best way forward. Basically, he stressed that we must protect Punjab's interests."
Background: AICC Observers' Report
Earlier this month, the Congress named Ajay Maken, Meenakshi Natarajan, and Bhajan Lal Jatav as All India Congress Committee (AICC) observers to assess and submit a report on the current political scenario in Punjab. They have submitted their report to the high command.
