Punjab Cong leader's arrest, verbal spat in Bengal: I.N.D.I.A's latest headaches

The arrest of Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in a 2015 drugs case by the AAP government in Punjab and the continuing war of words between the Congress and ruling Trinamool Congress in Bengal have unravelled tensions within the I.N.D.I.A constituents.

Amid a clamour by both the AAP and the Trinamool Congress for immediate conclusion of seat-sharing discussions, Khaira’s arrest is seen as the Arvind Kejriwal-led party making clear its exasperation with the Congress for not initiating talks on Delhi and Punjab.

Both AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee had been insisting that seat sharing talks be concluded at the earliest with the former even suggesting a deadline of September 30.

Khaira’s arrest, which came in a case registered eight years ago, also indicated that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is not very keen to enter into an alliance with the Congress for Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, though his party supremo and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is not averse to such a move.

While the Congress central leadership is keen on an alliance with AAP, its Delhi and Punjab units are not very enthusiastic about the idea. Though leaders like Pratap Bajwa and Sandeep Dikshit are unlikely to support an alliance, the leadership feels that they could convince other state leaders.

With the arrest of Khaira, who was Leader of Opposition as AAP MLA earlier, on Thursday that has understandably riled up the Punjab Congress leadership, the AAP has made it clear it would be in the driver’s seat. The latest development would also drive the Congress away from the AAP.

Soon after the Mumbai meeting of I.N.D.I.A, a senior Congress leader had indicated that his party would have an alliance with AAP in Delhi, but added that seat sharing in Punjab may not see the light of the day, arguing that the BJP was not a force in the state.

In Bengal, Congress state chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is leading the tirade against Trinamool by making a statement against the ruling party almost on a daily basis. The Trinamool is also unhappy about the slow movement over its proposal to announce the bloc’s ‘campaign points’ on October 2, which was suggested by Mamata herself at the Mumbai meet.

The latest was his attack on Mamata for her Spain trip, questioning her for spending public money for “personal reasons” when the state was witnessing a dengue outbreak, with Trinamool’s Shashi Panja accusing the Congress leader of weakening I.N.D.I.A.

Trinamool Congress wants Congress to join hands with it by leaving its electoral understanding with the CPI(M)-led Left Front. Trinamool believes that the Muslims’ increasing reliance on Congress would be beneficial for it in the Lok Sabha elections, but it is to be seen whether the Congress is willing to play by the Trinamool script.