The Congress high command has scheduled a meeting of the Punjab legislature party in Chandigarh on Saturday, which is likely to cause difficulties for chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
Harish Rawat, the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of Punjab affairs, made the announcement around midnight.“The AICC has received a representation from a large number of party MLAs, requesting to immediately convene a meeting of the legislature party of Punjab,” he posted on Twitter.
At 5 p.m., a CLP meeting will be held at the Punjab Congress office. The meeting has been scheduled for all MLAs. In another tweet, he tagged former party president Rahul Gandhi, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, and Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu, saying, "AICC urges the PPCC to enable this meeting."
“As per the AICC directive, Congress Legislative Party meeting has been convened at @INCPunjab PPCC Office Saturday 5 pm,” he tweeted minutes later.
In the 117-member state assembly, Congress has 80 MLAs.
While the chief minister is the CLP's leader and generally convenes the meeting, the AICC directive is being viewed as unusual, heralding new turbulence in the state's faction-ridden government.
Several cabinet officials and MLAs close to Sidhu have demanded a legislature party meeting.
While the chief minister is the CLP's leader and generally convenes the meeting, the AICC directive is being viewed as unusual, heralding new turbulence in the state's faction-ridden government.
Several cabinet officials and MLAs close to Sidhu have demanded a legislature party meeting. After then, a couple of them met with Rawat in Dehradun to urge their case.