Veteran Congress leader Amarinder Singh may be weighing the option of forming a separate political party, but sources close to him maintain that for him “the separate political party is very much an idea whose time has not come yet. It may or may not come depending on the turn of events in future”.
Even as statements issued by Amarinder and those by his bete noir Partap Bajwa have indicated towards Amarinder exploring the idea of forming a new party, people in his camp say “a new party would be the last resort”.
“We will explore all options to negotiate with the leadership rather than splitting the party,” says a senior Congress MLA and close confidant of Captain.
The senior leader has burnt all bridges with the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi by continuously criticising him, but his repeated praises for Congress president Sonia Gandhi show that he is keeping his options open.
Even as Amarinder has toughened his stand against the party leadership by declaring “my way or no way”, many within the Punjab Congress are trying to find a way out of the present imbroglio.
“There is no point in appointing anyone else other than Amarinder as everybody in Punjab has been saying that it can only be him who can lead the party to the victory,” said a senior party leader and a sitting MLA from Majha, confirming that they are trying to send this message across to the party leadership.
Within the Amarinder camp too, there is a difference of opinion on the issue of floating a new party. While some are pushing him to form a party, saying that his personal charisma may sail them through in 2017 state elections, others who do not favour a new party are highlighting that a corpus of at least Rs200 crore is needed to form a new party and it requires hard work and a momentum in mass contact programmes.
The party leadership too knows that the best chance it has of giving a tough fight in Punjab is under Amarinder. But sources say that though they are willing to make him the campaign committee in charge, he may not be given the post of PPCC chief.
Amarinder currently enjoys the support of over 30 of the 43 MLAs. But that much support may only last as long as he remains in the Congress. The moment he decides to leave the party, the number may come down to 20.
The reports of his toying with the idea of a separate party are also viewed in the context of the pressure tactics on the leadership which cannot afford a senior leader of Amarinder’s stature to part with the party.
Even as statements issued by Amarinder and those by his bete noir Partap Bajwa have indicated towards Amarinder exploring the idea of forming a new party, people in his camp say “a new party would be the last resort”.
“We will explore all options to negotiate with the leadership rather than splitting the party,” says a senior Congress MLA and close confidant of Captain.
The senior leader has burnt all bridges with the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi by continuously criticising him, but his repeated praises for Congress president Sonia Gandhi show that he is keeping his options open.
Even as Amarinder has toughened his stand against the party leadership by declaring “my way or no way”, many within the Punjab Congress are trying to find a way out of the present imbroglio.
“There is no point in appointing anyone else other than Amarinder as everybody in Punjab has been saying that it can only be him who can lead the party to the victory,” said a senior party leader and a sitting MLA from Majha, confirming that they are trying to send this message across to the party leadership.
Within the Amarinder camp too, there is a difference of opinion on the issue of floating a new party. While some are pushing him to form a party, saying that his personal charisma may sail them through in 2017 state elections, others who do not favour a new party are highlighting that a corpus of at least Rs200 crore is needed to form a new party and it requires hard work and a momentum in mass contact programmes.
The party leadership too knows that the best chance it has of giving a tough fight in Punjab is under Amarinder. But sources say that though they are willing to make him the campaign committee in charge, he may not be given the post of PPCC chief.
Amarinder currently enjoys the support of over 30 of the 43 MLAs. But that much support may only last as long as he remains in the Congress. The moment he decides to leave the party, the number may come down to 20.
The reports of his toying with the idea of a separate party are also viewed in the context of the pressure tactics on the leadership which cannot afford a senior leader of Amarinder’s stature to part with the party.
