Chandigarh: Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday strongly denied reports claiming that he had stormed out of a meeting with the Congress high command in New Delhi a day earlier.
Clarifying the developments, Bajwa said he had sought permission to leave after presenting his views on the political situation in Punjab and did not exit the meeting in anger.
The clarification comes amid growing speculation over a possible leadership reshuffle in the Punjab Congress. As one of the party’s senior-most leaders in the state, Bajwa is considered among the contenders for a key leadership role.
The closed-door meeting was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal. Senior Punjab Congress leaders Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Partap Singh Bajwa, Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Vijay Inder Singla were also present.
Speaking about the meeting, Bajwa said he was the first among the Punjab leaders to be invited to share his assessment of the situation in the state.
“Four or five senior leaders, including four Members of Parliament, were part of the discussion. I was called first to present my views on Punjab. The meeting was chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by Rahul Gandhi and K.C. Venugopal,” Bajwa said.
His remarks came in response to reports suggesting that differences had surfaced during the meeting and that he had walked out in protest. Bajwa maintained that no such incident took place and reiterated that he had left only after obtaining permission from the party leadership.
The meeting has fuelled fresh discussions within Congress circles about possible organisational changes in Punjab as the party prepares for future electoral battles in the state.
