As the state of Punjab faces down assembly polls this Sunday, Former Union Minister Ashwani Kumar hit out at the Punjab Congress leadership on Tuesday, criticising the rampant infighting and lack of cohesion in leadership which he described as "the worst in 40 years."
"Utter lack of inspirational leadership and emotional connect with the people. It is for the party to introspect rather than finding fault with people who are leaving the party," he was quoted as saying in an interview in the Indian Express.
"The kind of leadership being projected in Punjab is probably the worst in the last 40 years," Ashwani Kumar said to NDTV, without naming either Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi or Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu.
Channi took over as Chief Minister after Amarinder Singh, who had been locked in a dragging feud with Navjot Sidhu, was forced to resign in September.
"It is impossible for me to accept that caste can become the basis of the choice of Chief Minister in the Congress," Dr Kumar said, referring to Mr Channi, who is a Dalit leader.
Noting what he called a "narrowness of approach unbecoming of the Congress", Dr Kumar said on Amarinder Singh's exit:
"If you wanted Amarinder Singh to go you could have talked to him, you could have asked him. The manner in which Amarinder Singh was humiliated into resigning has not left a good impression of the Congress, not only in Punjab but the rest of the country," Kumar said.
He added that the way in which Amarinder Singh was forced to resign following the conflict with Siddhu was embarrassing for the Congress leadership in the state.
"...What the Congress needs desperately is to bring into existence a truly collective leadership structure in which seniority and merit would be given due respect and the elders are not denuded of their dignity," Kumar said on the subject of why he had left the Congress, a choice which he said was "painful".
The state is witnessing a multi-cornered contest with the Aam Aadmi Party, Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance and Sanyukt Samaj Morcha floated by farm unions also challenging the ruling Congress. The BJP is fighting the elections in alliance with Capt Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).