Amarinder set to move

CHANDIGARH: Once again, the continuation of Amarinder Singh as Punjab chief minister seems to be uncertain. According to Congress sources, the party high command is seriously contemplating removing him from the post before the by-elections to the two Vidhan Sabha seats slated for September 13. He may be sent abroad as ambassador.
However, this time, the idea of change is not the outcome of pressure from dissidents.As in Kerala, the chief minister''s poor performance during the Lok Sabha elections is expected to be the pretext for bringing about a change in Punjab.
BIS Chahal, media advisor to the chief minister, however, denied that any such move was afoot. Besides his style of functioning, which invariably landed Amarinder in controversies, it is the Congress''s dismal show in the Lok Sabha election that has rankled the high command.
The chief minister, who was in New Delhi this week, had a word with defence minister Pranab Mukherji, but could not get an audience with AICC president Sonia Gandhi.
During his meeting with Mukherji, who was recently appointed an AICC observer for Punjab, Amarinder was accompanied by PCC president H S Hanspal and cooperative minister Lal Singh. Chahal maintained that the CM met Mukherji to discuss the Congress candidates for the by-elections.
Sources said under the formula being worked out by the high command, Amarinder, after his removal, may be appointed ambassador to a country, his wife, Parneet Kaur, an MP, could get a berth in the Union ministry and his son, the Patiala Vidhan Sabha seat that Amarinder represents.
His personal equation with Sonia''s family notwithstanding, things went awry for Amarinder after he fell out of favour with CPM veteran Harkishen Singh Surjeet — someone whose support he had banked upon to keep his stock intact at the Centre.