Ahead of Punjab Cabinet Rejig, Tension Simmers as Cong MLAs Slam Likely Inclusion of 'Sand Mafia'

Hours ahead of the first cabinet expansion of the Punjab government led by Charanjit Singh Channi, a section of Congress leaders from the state unit have written to Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu against the inclusion of “tainted” former minister Rana Gurjit Singh. The leaders have demanded that the cabinet berth should be instead filled up by a Dalit leader with a clean record. A copy of the letter was also sent to Channi.

In the letter to Sidhu, these leaders demanded to drop Rana Gurjit from the proposed cabinet berth, alleging that he is a known corrupt and tainted politician of Doaba. The letter was written by Mohinder Singh Kaypee, former PPCC president, MLA Sultanpur Navtej Singh Cheema, MLA Phagwara Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Jalandhar North legislator Bawa Henry, Chabbewal legislator Raj Kumar, MLA Sham Churasi, Pawan Adiya and Bholath legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira. Khaira had defected from the Aam Aadmi Party and joined Congress recently. We the undersigned MLAs and leaders of Doaba wish to convey huge resentment amongst the public and the Congress cadre on the proposed inclusion of tainted Rana Gurjit Singh.

Punjab Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira said, “The party is going to create a big blunder with his (Rana Gurjit Singh’s) proposed appointment as a minister. We’ll talk regarding this with our state party president (Navjot Singh Sindhu).”

He also claimed that Channi was not giving any representation to Mazhabi Sikhs, who make up 30 per cent of the scheduled caste population in Punjab. “There is a serious issue of CM not giving representation to Mazhabi Sikhs (30% of SC population) while he is Ravidassia (or Ramdasia), and he is favouring another Ravidassia, who is related to him. While second issue is about a tainted sand mining mafia person getting position in the cabinet. Though party recommended people with honest faces, simple idea was image building before elections, and to have faces that are credible. Now in second case, there are 15 MLAs revolting, and in the first case eight Mazhabi Sikhs revolting.”

Seven new faces are likely to be inducted in the Punjab cabinet while five ministers, who were part of the Amarinder Singh-led government, are expected to be dropped, sources said. Pargat Singh, Raj Kumar Verka, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Kuljit Nagra and Rana Gurjit Singh are likely to be included in the cabinet, according to the sources. However, the list of names is yet to be officially declared.

In another surprising development, a key aide of Sidhu, Kuljit Singh Nagra has said he should not be considered for any ministerial post. Going live on his social media channels, he reasoned that he had already submitted his resignation as MLA in protest against the three new farm laws against which farmers have been protesting for almost a year. He said being a farmer’s son foremost, he had already decided not to take up any post, and to only support the farmers’ movement.

Nagra won the Fatehgarh Sahib seat near Chandigarh in the same region as Channi’s assembly segment. Nagra, who has risen from student politics at Panjab University, is trusted lieutenant of party leader Rahul Gandhi. He has been part of “Team Rahul” in election campaigns across the country, including Delhi.

In the video, Nagra apologised to his family, constituents of Fatehgarh Sahib and other “well-wishers” for taking this decision to stay out of the cabinet despite the fact that they had even started congratulating him after reading speculation in the media.

Rana Gurjit Singh, the richest candidate in the 2017 assembly elections, was inducted in the Captain Amarinder Singh-led government in 2017 as irrigation and power minister. Barely nine months in, he had to resign after being accused of pocketing sand mining contracts worth Rs 26.51 crore in Nawanshahr.

After Channi, Sidhu and other leaders held deliberations over days with the party’s senior leadership to finalise the names for the first cabinet expansion, it appears to have hit another hurdle with seven Congress leaders including a former PPCC chief writing to Sidhu demanding Rana Gurjit not be included.

(With PTI inputs)

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