Chandigarh: The Congress high command's three observers, appointed to assess the political situation in Punjab, were on Tuesday told that the controversy surrounding chief minister Bhagwant Mann presented an opportunity for the party that could be capitalised on by uniting the organisation, expediting key organisational decisions and launching a coordinated campaign on the ground.
The demand was raised during interactions between the party's Punjab functionaries and the observers. The team, comprising Ajay Maken, Meenakshi Natarajan and Bhajan Lal Jatav, held one-on-one meetings with sitting and former MPs, MLAs, district presidents and other party office-bearers in Delhi.
Sources said the common refrain was that all senior leaders must be brought on to a common platform and a programme drawn up under which they are seen together across the state for 10-15 days. Such an exercise, they felt, would energise party workers and send a message of unity to the electorate.
The issue of leadership also figured in the discussions. Sources said the observers sought feedback on the organisational structure, including the posts of Punjab Congress president and leader of opposition.
According to sources, some functionaries suggested that the state president and leader of opposition should be committed Congress workers who are not facing investigations by agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or the vigilance bureau, enabling them to work without fear and devote their full attention to party affairs. There was also a demand that all senior functionaries be accommodated and assigned meaningful responsibilities within the party. They sought balanced representation across regions, castes and communities.
With the possibility of elections being advanced, there was also a demand that any organisational changes or decisions be implemented immediately.
Sources said the observers were told that the controversy surrounding Mann had created an opportunity for the Congress to regain political ground, particularly in Malwa. AAP had won the maximum number of seats from the Sikh-majority belt of 69 assembly constituencies in the 2022 assembly polls, while the Congress managed to secure only a couple of seats.
The observers were also told that there was a perception among voters that the Congress deserved another opportunity, provided it presented a united and credible alternative.
They were also apprised of the recent municipal body elections in which the ruling AAP outperformed its rivals. However, according to sources, Punjab functionaries cautioned against drawing conclusions from those results, pointing to past instances where incumbent parties dominated local body polls only to suffer setbacks in subsequent assembly elections.
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