The Punjab Congress in-charge had met Sonia Gandhi on Friday and sought to be relieved as the in-charge citing next year’s assembly polls in Uttarakhand.
Under pressure from two states, Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat on Saturday met senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. While Rawat is already occupied fixing infighting in Punjab, the upcoming elections in his home state Uttarakhand are a new challenge the former CM is preparing for.
“I’ll definitely take out time. I’ll carry out whatever responsibility party High Command gives me,” Rawat said. The Punjab Congress in-charge had met Sonia Gandhi on Friday and sought to be relieved as the in-charge citing next year’s assembly polls in Uttarakhand.
According to sources, Rawat, a former chief minister and the Congress’ campaign committee chairman in Uttarakhand, informed the party chief that he wants to concentrate on the upcoming polls in the hill state.
Assembly elections will be held in Punjab and Uttarakhand simultaneously early next year. When reporters asked Rawat if he has sought to be relieved as the in-charge of Congress’ Punjab affairs so that he can concentrate on the upcoming polls in his state the former Uttarakhand chief minister replied in the affirmative.
He, however, added, “If my party asks me to continue (as Punjab affairs in-charge), I will do so.” While the Congress party is seeking to retain power in Punjab, it aims to return to power by defeating the ruling BJP in the hill state. Punjab is witnessing infighting between Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Rawat, who is currently in Delhi to meet the party’s senior leadership, had recently said that the Punjab Assembly polls will be fought under the leadership of Amarinder Singh, delivering a snub to the leaders wanting the chief minister’s removal. He had also said there was no threat to the Amarinder Singh-led government in Punjab.
