Feeling frustrated for having failed to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi despite waiting for more than a week, Haryana Minister for Urban Local Bodies A C Chaudhry today said he will give one more day to the party leader to meet and listen to the grievances of the Punjabi community, before beginning a tour of the state to give a unity call for the Punjabi community.

Talking to The Indian Express, Chaudhry said he had received news from the party office yesterday that Sonia Gandhi would be able to meet him today. But till late evening, she had not even come back from her Maharashtra tour.

"Congress ko god (lap) wale ki chinta nahin, par pet mein aane wale ki chinta jaroor sata rahi hai,'' (Congress is not worried about the ones in its lap, viz. Punjabis, who are already a vote bank. It is worried about those whom it is still wooing), he said.

Chaudhry has been on warpath over the neglect of the Punjabi community in the distribution of tickets by the Congress. He had earlier sent his resignation from the Haryana Cabinet to Sonia Gandhi.

Chaudhry warned that the Congress would opt for 'harakiri' by neglecting the large number of the Punjabis in the state. Chaudhry stressed, though, that he had no plans of quitting the party. "I will tour the state to give a unity call to the Punjabis to be ready to give their votes in bulk to any party. These votes matter a lot.They can change the fortune of any party,'' he said.

... contd.