My way or highway

My way or highway

Sidhu is the new Punjab Congress president but Captain would still lead the party into the poll.

The decision of the Congress to foist Navjot Singh Sidhu on Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, warms the cockles of the latter’s opponents within and outside the party. Sidhu is now the new State Congress president. As a politician who joined the Congress just over four years ago, it is quite a big promotion for him. To tolerate Sidhu’s presence as an alternate source of power will be quite a climbdown for the Captain. A truce between the two would never be voluntary and be forced down their throats by the high command, whose subsequent task would be to make it last till the Assembly elections. Analysts wonder if the high command’s decision is politically sound at all, considering that the move may widen the split in the State unit without actually closing the gap between the two warring leaders. But then, the ground reality in Punjab shows that the central leadership was left with Hobson’s choice. Imagine the situation: Not giving in to Sidhu’s demand would have made him take a drastic decision, what with the Aam Aadmi Party hunting for a chief ministerial face in the State. Giving in to his demand would anyway make the Captain angrier, deeming his actions unpredictable as well. The best way could only be to let them share power but keep them away from each other’s throats. The high command is only interested in burying the internal problem in the run-up to the elections. Its only priority is to find a formula to end the anti-incumbency in the party.

Sidhu was beginning to attract the leaders and legislators frustrated with the Captains’ behaviour. Sidhu’s outbursts were encouraging the Captain’s rivals to be more vocal. The Opposition parties were waiting on the fringes, ready to poach. The Chief Minister, on the other hand, did not have an impeccable record that would have given him a greater say in things. He is accused of taking his job casually, being inaccessible to party legislators, alleged to be soft on the Akalis, and playing favourites. His image does not appear to have helped him much as the appointment of Sidhu would diminish the Chief Minister’s sphere of influence. However, he may have the consolation of leading the party in the elections. The high command would want to deal with the external anti-incumbency once the internal order is set. The best it can expect is for the divided house to fight the elections unitedly. The State’s leaders might be in either of the two camps, thus avoiding a split, and it will be up to the high command to ensure that there is no discrimination in the distribution of tickets so that a united Congress faces the electors. It will not be a smooth affair, naturally, but the real trouble will be after the elections if the Congress returns to power and the legislature party has to elect a leader.