| But not all the legislators were happy at this and still sounded a note of discontent. |
| This development came about after a meeting of the dissidents and party president Sonia Gandhi last night. |
| Party general secretary Mohsina Kidwai announced, a day after the Bhattal-Gandhi meeting that more legislators would be accommodated in the Punjab Cabinet headed by Amarinder Singh. |
| Reacting to the decision, Bhattal said "I had made no demand. Whatever the party has decided is acceptable to me. I have been a former chief minister, then made a minister. I will do whatever the party says now". |
| "In the bigger national perspective (of the coming Lok Sabha elections) and in the interests of the party, we have decided to forget our differences. We are committed Congressmen and will do whatever makes our party strong," Bhattal had said after meeting Gandhi. |
| "We have a bigger battle ahead (elections) and when that is the case, small things are best forgotten," she said. |
| The handling of the Punjab crisis shows the imprimatur of Gandhi's style of crisis management""standing by the chief minister but at the same time, putting him on "warning" mode by accommodating those opposed to him in the government. Amarinder Singh has, however, been allowed to keep the home portfolio, which the dissidents wanted. |
| Bhattal would continue to be the agriculture and rural development minister. |
| Judging by the Punjab case, if the problem in Kerala is to handled in the same way, K Karunakaran's son, K Muraleedharan should expect to be elevated to the post of deputy chief minister as well, without moving Chief Minister AK Antony. |
| Despite the compromise, a group of former MLAs and former ministers said they were not happy with the central party leadership's decision and would protest against it. |
| "Congress workers will meet the 3-member AICC panel to voice their protest" said BLal Goel, PPCC vice-president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. |
Top Section
Explore Business Standard