This story is from May 21, 2016

Congress leader Bir Devinder Singh says he won't be a part of Brar's 'half-baked initiative'

The possible coming together of two former senior Congress leaders Jagmeet Singh Brar and Bir Devinder Singh has failed to materialize for now, with the latter deciding not to be a part of Brar's 'half-baked initiative'. The realignment of ex-Congress dissidents had been a cause of concern for the party's strategist Prashant Kishor, and there were reports of efforts to bring the two back in the party fold.
Congress leader Bir Devinder Singh says he won't be a part of Brar's 'half-baked initiative'
Chandigarh: The possible coming together of two former senior Congress leaders Jagmeet Singh Brar and Bir Devinder Singh has failed to materialize for now, with the latter deciding not to be a part of Brar's 'half-baked initiative'. The realignment of ex-Congress dissidents had been a cause of concern for the party's strategist Prashant Kishor, and there were reports of efforts to bring the two back in the party fold.
Devinder, meanwhile, said he was not averse to rejoining Congress if approached properly.
Reacting to Devinder's decision to stay away, Brar told ToI that it was not in good taste, as he had virtually given his consent when he went to invite him at his place, also hinting that Devinder could be keen on going back to the Congress, but he would stick to his resolve. After getting an invitation from Brar to join his rally scheduled for May 21 at Chappar Chirri, Devinder had called a meeting of his 'well-wishers' on Thursday, and decided it would be 'premature and imprudent' for him to join the rally.
He said: "After soliciting the wide-ranging views of my well-wishers, and carefully examining all the pros and cons, I have decided not to be a part of the half-baked initiative as yet. Brar's predicament is indicative of a complete paradox. His unilateral overtures towards AAP, sans warmth and formal invitation, do not behove a leader of his stature. Moreover, I have my own well-founded reservations about AAP's surge on the Punjab scene. There are reports that he is also cozying up to the BSP simultaneously."
Further, he added that the 'blurred political posturing' is not helping build mutual confidence. "So, I'm of the view that due to lack of clarity in the vision for Punjab's future in 2017, there seems no point in becoming a part of the crowd at Chappar Chirri. I'm of the considered opinion that it's far more honourable to wait patiently for some time and allow things to crystallize, rather than jumping on the 'bandwagon' of a party whose arrival and departure is mysteriously unknown," he said.
Devinder pointed out that people who seriously intend to liberate Punjab from the despotic misrule of the Akali-BJP combine must see that the option of splitting the anti-incumbency vote could also again turn out to be advantageous for the ruling combine once again.
"Therefore, all future electoral combinations in Punjab must be carefully worked out, without committing the mistakes of the past," he added.
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About the Author
Vibhor Mohan

Vibhor Mohan is Special Correspondent with The Times of India’s Punjab Bureau at Chandigarh. He holds post-graduate degrees in Mass Communication and English and has nearly 15 years of experience, having covered important stations in Punjab. He covers news concerning Punjab politics, NRI affairs and the power sector, besides specializing in writing on architecture, especially on the works of Le Corbusier, the man who gave India its first designed city – Chandigarh.

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