Even after the disappointing performance of the Congress in the Punjab Assembly elections, the factionalism within the state party has not abated.
A group of 25 Congress leaders held a luncheon at the residence of former MLA Navtej Chima in Sultanpur Lodhi on Saturday, as sources said, a possible candidate for the Leader of the Opposition. Among other leaders, former PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu was also present at the meeting.
A section in the Congress is again trying to put pressure on Sukhpal Khaira as the Leader of the Opposition and Navjot Singh Sidhu as the PCC chief, sources said.
Apart from Kharia, the only other MLA who attended the meeting was BS Dhaliwal from Phagwara. Although the meeting was held in Doaba, only two MLAs from the region were present. Among those who avoided the meeting were Sidhu’s associate Pargat Singh of Jalandhar Cantt and Bawa Henry from Jalandhar North.
Among those present were former minister MS KP, former MLA Rakesh Pandey, Ashwani Sekhri, Sunil Dutt, Davinder Singh Guvaya, Sukhwinder Danny, Jagdev Singh Kamlu, Pirmal Singh and Rupinder Ruby.
According to party sources, the Leader of the Opposition and the PCC chief election has begun heated discussions. While a section of the team was trying to pitch Pratap Singh Bajwa for the LOP post, another lobby supporting Sidhu was trying to support Khaira.
“As a responsible opposition party, we need to create pressure. We can only be a small number of MLAs but the leader of the pack should be with a good track record. Khaira can meet, ”said one of the leaders who attended the meeting.
Sources said that more meetings of different groups are scheduled to be held in the coming days to lobby for the two posts.
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