AICC calls emergency meeting of Punjab CLP

Chandigarh: In what appears to be an attempt to resolve the ongoing infighting in the party's Punjab unit, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has convened an emergency meeting of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) today.

Harish Rawat, in charge of Punjab affairs in the AICC, announced this in a tweet in the midnight on Friday:

"The AICC has received a representation from a large number of MLAs from the congress party, requesting to immediately convene a meeting of the Congress Legislative Party of Punjab. Accordingly, a meeting of the CLP has been convened at 5:00 PM on 18th September at Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee office. AICC directs the PPCC to facilitate this meeting. All congress MLAs of Punjab are requested to kindly attend this meeting," Rawat tweeted at about 11.39 last night tagging AICC @INCIndia, Rahul Gandhi @RahulGandhi, Punjab Pradesh Congress @INCPunjab, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh @capt_amarinder and PCC President Navjot Singh Sidhu @sherryontopp in his tweet.

Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu later tweeted "As per the AICC directive, CLP meeting has been convened at @INCPunjab PPCC Office, Chandigarh on 18 September 2021 (Saturday) 5 PM."

The decision comes days after nearly 40 MLAs wrote to the party's central leadership against the CM, alleging that hardly anything was being done towards fulfilment of the 18-point programme issued by the party high command. They had demanded a meeting of the CLP.

The AICC had appointed Sidhu as PCC President on July 18 amid power tussle between him and the CM.

However, the AICC's action has failed to end the struggle and has rather added fuel to the fire turning the ruling party into a house completely divided in run up to the 2022 Assembly polls.