Will meet party high command to explain ground realities: Partap Singh Bajwa

CHANDIGARH: With senior party leader Amarinder Singh pitching for a change of leadership in Punjab Congress, state Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa today said he will meet party high command after 'Maghi' mela to explain the "ground realities" in the state.

"I will be meeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi after Maghi Mela to explain what are the political ground realities at the moment in Punjab and how the state Congress has been able to galvanize people against present Akali-BJP government on drug issue," Bajwa said today.

Maghi Mela will be held on January 14 in Muktsar district.

With drug menace emerging as a key issue in state politics, the former Gurdaspur MP said he will also explain how Congress highlighted the "failure" of the state government in curbing drug menace and turned it into a national issue, "putting the Akali-BJP regime on the mat over this issue".

"It is because of our consistent assault on the state government that a strain in the relationship has come between Akali and BJP because of drug issue taken up by the Congress," Bajwa added.

Meanwhile, Bajwa declined to comment on a luncheon meeting hosted today by Amarinder Singh at Patiala, which is being attended by several party members, including sitting MLAs, former legislators, district presidents from across the state.

In a meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on January 9, former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is understood to have sought the removal of Bajwa, saying that he could not secure victory for the party.

Later Bajwa had even hit back at former Punjab Chief Minister for crossing the "Lakshman Rekha" and had asked him not to "share his mind" with the media, claiming Singh's statement could "demoralise" the party cadre ahead of civic polls next month. Bajwa had added that he would continue in the post as long as the party high command had confidence in him.