After lying low for a year, former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has thrown an open challenge to the leadership of Punjab Congress president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal by accusing her of conniving with Akali Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.After questioning Bhattal’s credibility, Amarinder has vowed to “move around and go everywhere in the state to boost the morale of the rank and file which is feeling let down by her for hobnobbing with Badal”. “Our workers are facing torture and harassment, and Bhattal is busy playing charity cricket matches with Akalis. I would take up their cause and fight it out with Akalis,” he added.“The Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) has invested in me for 10 years — five as PCC chief and the rest as chief minister — and it is my duty to revive the party when she and the Prime Minister need all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the next elections,” Amarinder said. “I cannot simply sit at home and watch — it is my duty to deliver in the same manner as before when I got the party 12 of the 13 seats.”Regarding Bhattal, he said, “What is her track record? She got 12 out of 117, and I, even at the time of defeat, managed a tally of 44 out of 117.” Considering that Bhattal is both PCC president and leader of the opposition in the Assembly, Amarinder would require her clearance before undertaking any statewide tour in accordance with normal Congress practice. Madhya Pradesh is a case in point where AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh was kept from holding rallies in the state without the consent of state Congress leadership.When reminded of a similar possibility in his case, Amarinder said, “I have met (AICC) general secretary in-charge Alva (Margaret) and told her I cannot work with Bhattal. Therefore, I will start touring the state from Baisakhi.”When asked about her response, he said, “Alva told me who can stop you (from touring)?” He said Alva also told him that she was not even an MP from Karnataka and still, she would tour her home state which was heading for Assembly polls.The PCC president, according to him, seeks favours from the CM on a day-to-day basis and works at his bidding. When asked to substantiate his allegation, the former CM claimed she became a party to the postponement of panchayat elections despite the fact that the Congress would have won hands down. He said, “What’s worse, she has the audacity to claim that she wanted them deferred. My simple question is why do you want them postponed if you are winning?”
