New Delhi, May 2: With just a year left for Lok Sabha elections 2019, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday formed two committees for better coordination between the government and the party in Punjab.
Imporantly, Local Bodies and Culture Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu did not find a place in both the committees.
While the 15-member Coordination Committee includes Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, AICC incharge of party affairs in the state Asha Kumari and state party chief Sunil Jakhar. It also includes some ministers and MLAs.
Former cricketer and Punjab’s Local Government, Tourism, Cultural Affairs and Museums Minister Navjot Sidhu, who quit the BJP to join the Congress ahead of last year’s assembly polls, does not figure in both the committees, even though Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal finds a place in the monitoring committee.
The coordination committee includes senior party leader Ambika Soni, AICC secretaries Harish Chaudhary and Kishori Lal Sharma, besides former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and senior party leaders Lal Singh and Brahm Mohindra.
Punjab’s Cabinet ministers Charanjit Singh Channi and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, party MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh and legislators Raj Kumar Verka and Kuljit Singh Nagra are also in the coordination panel, besides Amarinder’s confidante Capt Sandeep Singh Sandhu.
The 20-member monitoring committee includes Asha Kumari, Amarinder, Jakhar and Harish Chaudhary, besides Cabinet ministers Manpreet Singh Badal, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwam Aruna Chaudhar, Vijay Inder Singla.
Besides, Mandi Board chairman Lal Singh and MLAs Kuldeep Singh Vaid, Tarsem Singh, Raj Kumar Chabbewal are also part of the panel, along with former MLA Karan Brar.
Punjab Congress leaders Amar Singh, Jai Singh, Sandeep Singh Sandhu, Emmunal Nahar and Vijay Kalra, besides Punjab Youth Congress chief Amarpreet Singh Lalli and state Mahila Congress president Mamata Dutta are also part of the monitoring panel.
According to AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot, Gandhi has also cleared the appointment of 16 party leaders as spokespersons in the state. These include some young faces.
Among the new spokespersons are young MLAs Dalvir Singh Goldy, Sukhwinder Singh Danny and Inderjit Singh Zira, besides party leaders Amar Singh, Barinder Singh Dhillon, Navjot Dahiya, Rajpal Singh, Surjit Swaich, Ravinder Pal Singh Palli and Savita Sisodia besides some others.
Punjab is among the very few large states where Congress has its government, besides Karnataka which goes to polls on May 12 and the party is seeking to stage a comeback.
Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com
