Congress solution temporary
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Congress is facing two major headaches in Punjab and Rajasthan where it rules. In Punjab, Congress is more wary because in early next year, the state goes to the polls. And the influential leader and former cricketer Navjyot Singh Siddhu have upped the ante against chief minister Amrindar Singh. Now, Congress has found out a solution and that is Siddhu is likely to be made Punjab Congress chief. If Congress wins a second time in the state, Siddhu’s name may be considered for the top post because the state party unit president is generally a potential chief minister. Now Amrinder Singh is 79 years old and he will not be active for more than two years. The grand old party may be seeing in Siddhu a budding chief minister. Of course, Siddhu has to force himself on high command to consider his name for the next PCC president. He was extremely critical of Amrindar Singh and he also knows that Punjab elections are round the corner. The high command has bought peace in Punjab but a major question is whether this peace will last for a long time. It is most unlikely. The reason is obvious and it is the leaders’ ambitions cross with each other. Siddhu has never hidden his ambitions and he is honest in that manner. He also alleges Amrindar Singh of entering tacit understanding with Akali Dal, the major opposition and reckoning force. Siddhu’s open rhetoric against Amrindar Singh and his severe criticism forced Congress high command to find a solution. The solution is like this. Siddhu will be PCC president and two working presidents will be appointed, one from Dalit and another from the Hindu community. The time will tell this experiment of the revamp will be successful or not. Siddhu has been at loggerheads with CM Amrindar Singh on the issue of 2015 desecration. As the subject is very sensitive, the high command has to find a solution. It wants both Siddhu and Amrindar should work together in elections. Otherwise, Akali Dal and BJP will take advantage of a rift in two influential leaders of Congress. Though BJP and Akali Dal are not fighting elections unitedly, Congress will not have any advantage of separation between them. Amrindar has good relations with Akali leaders and he may get tacit help from them where Akalis are not fighting. Another twist in this scenario is that Mayavati led BSP is fighting the polls with a coalition with Akalis. That’s why Congress has decided to appoint a Dalit working president to satisfy the community. Even if Congress chief Sonia Gandhi succeeds in establishing peace between fighting factions of Amrindar and Siddhu, it will not last for a long time. Both leaders are equally ambitious and they will always see that rivals will be marginalized. Siddhu has criticized Amrindar Singh in very sharp words and the latter will not forget the acidic language used by Siddhu. Harish Rawat, in charge of Punjab affairs, has very clearly mentioned that the party will fight coming elections under the leadership of Amrindar Singh. It is to be seen if Siddhu will work very hard and honestly as even if he worked with extreme hardship, he will not be made chief minister. So, there will be a Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh in Punjab. In Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot is going through the same trauma that, he worked hard and Ahok Gehlot grabbed the top post. Siddhu will definitely keep this in mind. So, Congress's solution in Punjab is really temporary and nobody will tell whether it will work.