Internal strife hindering Congress’s outreach to people: Jakhar on Sidhu vs Amarinder

ABOHAR: Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Monday said the wrangling within the party’s state unit was hampering the “vital process” of taking the state government’s “landmark achievements” to people ahead of the 2022 assembly elections.

He expressed concern over the party cadre’s “inability” to fully leverage a major government decision like doubling of social security pension.

His statement came amid the ongoing power tussle between the camps of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Speaking at his native village Panjkosi here, Jakhar said the increase in pension from Rs 750 to Rs 1,500 is a major decision by the state government to alleviate suffering of the needy.

He, however, said that he had been concerned about the party not being able to fully propagate the recent significant decision.

“We need to take these decisions to every household so that people could be more aware about these,” Jakhar said appealing to the Congress leadership and cadre that it is time to act unitedly to take the government’s achievements to people on the ground so that party could win the next assembly elections and form the government in the state again.

“It is time we should tell people that the government chosen by them has doubled their pension amount while during the 10 years of the Shiromani Akali Dal, the pension remained stagnant at Rs 250 and was only increased in the last year of the Badal government’s tenure.

The Amarinder Singh-led government has increased it three times in five years from Rs 500 to 1,500,” Jakhar said in a statement.

Jakhar, who has been replaced by Navjot Singh Sidhu as Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief, said Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi have directed them to take the state government’s achievements to the people.