Ambika Soni among probable candidates to replace Pratap Singh Bajwa as Punjab PCC president

NEW DELHI: The AICC has accelerated discussions for restructuring the faction ridden Punjab Congress unit. Senior leader Ambika Soni, party’s young Lok Sabha member Ravneet Singh Bittu and long-standing aspirant Lal Singh are among probables shortlisted to replace Pratap Singh Bajwa as PCC president. The AICC discussions on the Punjab coincides with rebellious leader Captain Amrinder Singh advancing his parallel party meetings across the state during the last few weeks.

"There could be a change in the PCC leadership of Punjab Congress soon. Discussions among senior leaders are now underway to firm up the final choice and timing of appointment," said a senior party functionary. While the Amarinder Singh camp has been most vocal against Bajwa’s leadership, almost all factions of the state party have conveyed to the high command that Bajwa does not have the ability to unite the state party ahead of the 2017 January assembly elections in the state, and more importantly to face the challenge of the AAP, which is making inroads into the Congress space and positioning itself as a contender for the anti-incumbency votes against the two-term Akali-BJP coalition government.

The AICC would ideally prefer Amarinder Singh to take over as PCC chief and shoulder the responsibility of uniting/leading the party to the next polls, something he, as of, now seems reluctant. In this situation, the party is looking at either bringing a young face like Bittu, grandson of late party CM Beant Singh, who too is a Jat Sikh like the Captain or, send a senior leader like Ambika Soni who could be acceptable to all factions.

Soniwas a PCC chief and is known to have a good rapport with both the Captain and other senior state leaders. While Lal Singh is a preferred choice of Captain for the post, his lacklustre character and his image as a Captain acolyte are being resented by other state leaders.