The Congress has called a quick meeting of its legislative party in Punjab on Saturday at 5 pm in response to MLAs asking for a discussion on issues within the party.
“The AICC has received a representation from a large number of MLAs from the Congress party, requesting to immediately convene a meeting of the Congress Legislative Party of Punjab. Accordingly, a meeting of the CLP has been convened at 5 pm on 18th September at the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee office.
“AICC directs the PPCC to facilitate this meeting. All Congress MLAs of Punjab are requested to kindly attend this meeting,” tweeted Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat.
Navjot Singh Sidhu also tweeted the same information about hurriedly called meet and the central body is likely to send observers. Sidhu took to the microblogging site to inform the party MLAs. “As per the AICC directive, Congress Legislative Party meeting has been convened at @INCPunjab PPCC Office, Chandigarh, on 18 September 2021 (Saturday) 5 pm,” he tweeted.
The MLAs have demanded that two neutral observers be sent from Delhi so that they can narrate their grievances. The prime movers this time are Pargat Singh and Tript Singh Bajwa, both are close to party state chief Sidhu.
Harish Rawat met Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday and sources said he has been asked to settle the raging tussle within the party as MLAs have once again started raising voices that amounted to calling the meeting. Rawat is also said to have spoken to the top Congress leaders in Punjab.
The Congress has 80 MLAs in the 117-strong state assembly.
While the chief minister is the leader of the CLP and usually calls the meeting, the AICC directive is being seen as unusual, signaling fresh fireworks in the faction-ridden state unit. Several cabinet ministers and MLAs close to Sidhu have been demanding the meeting of the legislature party.