Q. Could the party have won Punjab?
In hindsight, you are always wiser. But yes, the transformation that was sought to be brought about in Punjab could have been handled better. Changing the chief minister so close to the elections was in itself problematic. And the seriousness with which it should have been handled was missing. There was no succession plan.
Q. Why do you think changing the CM close to elections was problematic?
Under Capt Amarinder Singh, the party had won all elections in the state since 2017. Yes, it was felt that certain issues were not addressed. The sentiment on the ground was for a change. People did not want the status quo to continue. Therein lay an opportunity for the party. Had Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi met the captain one-on-one and conveyed the concerns of the MLAs to him, he would not have ignored the issues.
Q. But the party says Amarinder Singh’s credibility had taken a hit.
If there was a perception that he was hand-in-glove with the Badals and that there was corruption in the government, the leadership could have handled the situation with greater finesse and come up with a succession plan. The solution was not to impose Charanjit Channi upon everyone.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 27, 2022-Ausgabe von THE WEEK.
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