Total revamp of Congress in Punjab can only make party win in 2017: Sukhpal Singh Khaira

By Satinder Bains
CHANDIGARH:  The young face of Congress in Punjab Sukhpal Singh Khaira, former MLA from Bholath feels that Congress has strong chances of winning the state assembly elections in 2017 if party high command takes some drastic decisions and make a total revamp of the state unit. In an exclusive interview with Punjab News Express, Khaira said change of leadership alone would not change the fortunes of party. "Congress needs to come out with new ideas, new policy and new faces", added.

Khaira who is one of the fire brand leaders and considered an eyesore by the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) that if party command fails to take some firm decision immediately, the chances of Congress returning to power would diminish. He said that strong anti-incumbency wave against the ruling SAD-BJP government was prevailing in the state. People were fed up by the corruption, poor law and order and particularly a strong sentiment is prevailing against the dynasty rule of Badal family which itself has assumed the role of mafia in the business of transport, sand mining and cable.

Khaira was recently summoned by AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi to get his views on affairs of Punjab Congress. Khaira said that he has given his mind to the party high command. He said that he had told Rahul Gandhi Congress can’t win the elections on obsolete agenda and old fashioned ideas. "The party needs to make drastic changes in the political culture". He added that youth participation in politics has increased and any young leader can help party revive its base.

He was of the opinion that infighting among senior leaders was demoralizing the party workers. He said that affairs of party had reached at a stage where everyone is racing to become the Chief Minister and nobody is ready to work on ground.

Khaira said that no doubt Capt Amarinder Singh was a popular leader of Congress. But he is always surrounded by a coutrie which is not allowing him to maintain contact with masses. Had Capt Amarinder removed his coutrie, the Congress would not have lost the 2012 assembly poll, he added. Khaira said that SAD had used police to influence the mandate in 2012 and now they are again thinking to repeat same tactics to return to power. He said that opposition leaders were being threatened and pressure is built on media as well.

Khaira said that neither Congress nor ruling SAD-BJP alliance shall write off Aam Aadmi Party(AAP). The people of Punjab were looking for a better alternative. Of course Congress can provide better alternative, Khaira said and added that the voters may turn to any party which can give an assurance of better governance. The AAP had won four seats in Punjab during 2014 Lok Sabha elections and it was an unexpected phenomena in state politics. He feared that if Congress would not set its house in order, the Congress may suffer again.

Khaira said that the protests against Akali Dal ministers and leaders in North America were a strong indication that NRIs would be playing important role in the 2017 assembly elections. He said that in the last Lok Sabha poll it was impact of NRIs which made AAP to win four seats. He said that about the superior human resource from Punjab, about 50 lakh Punjabis out of the total population of 2.60 crores were living abroad and they are the people who have seen better system of governance for years together. They are keen to implement similar model of governance in Punjab, the land which they loved most. He said that Congress need to revive its network among NRIs and replace the Indian oversees Congress with Punjab specific units. He said that during his visit to Canada, USA he found that 99 percent NRIs are against SAD-BJP regime. He said that it would be foolish to write them off by branding them handful of Khalistani elements.

Khaira said that Punjab's agrarian economy was in shambles. The Narender Modi government at center has ditched Punjab and no concessions were given as projected by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He said that no new employment was available in Punjab. The unemployment and drugs have become lethal combination to tgake the youth to misguided path. The youth was forming gangs and crime rate was rising in Punjab.

Khaira said that Badal was raising the Panthic agenda for political gains and he is also threatening urban people if they would not vote for SAD-BJP alliance, there will be danger to peace in Punjab. He said that present regime has no development agenda and neither they are interested in development of state. Khaira however supported the release of Sikh prisoners who have completed their jail term. This rule shall apply to all such prisoners irrespective of religion and cast, he added.

Khaira feared that if Punjab Government failed to address the problem of farmers, there would be spate of suicides. The Paddy was not procured properly this year, the potato farmers are on cross roads, the private sugar mills have stopped cane crushing. He said that Punjab produces 8 crore quintals of sugar cane and if mills failed to but sugar cane, farmers would be ruined completely.