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Updated July 1st, 2021 at 08:54 IST

Amarinder Singh to meet Cong netas from urban areas of Punjab as rift intensifies

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday is set to meet party leaders from urban areas of the state, followed by lunch in Chandigarh.

Reported by: Swagata Banerjee
Amarinder Singh
Image: ANI/ @sherryontopp (Twitter) | Image:self
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A day after Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday met with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi in the national capital, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday is set to meet party leaders from urban areas of the state, followed by lunch in Chandigarh, amid the ongoing crisis in state Congress. Meanwhile, Sidhu also met party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at her residence before meeting Rahul. 

While Sidhu met Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday, the party's top brass did not meet Punjab Chief Minister who was in Delhi recently for three days. A senior Congress leader clarified that the Punjab Chief Minister had not sought time to meet the top leadership of the party.

Ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls, the rift in the state unit has intensified. On June 26, Punjab's dissenting MLAs met Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and claimed that the Congress-led Punjab government had been under 'lockdown' for the last 4 years, raising questions over Captain Amarinder Singh's governance. The MLAs also demanded that CM Captain Amarinder Singh must fulfill the promises made in 2017 so that they can face the people of their respective constituencies. 

Sidhu Vs Punjab CM

Earlier, the AICC panel had submitted the report on the Punjab crisis to Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi with the ground realities and suggestions after the members of the panel met the Punjab Chief Minister.

While Navjot Singh Sidhu has continued to be an MLA after resigning from the Cabinet in July 2019, he maintained a distance from party activities. Moreover, he has been repeatedly attacking the state government and the Punjab CM over the purported delay injustice in the incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and the subsequent police firing incident. Though Singh and Sidhu attempted to resolve their differences over tea on March 17, 2021, a positive outcome proved to be elusive.

The relationship took a turn for the worse after the Punjab & Haryana HC quashed the SIT probe into the firing cases on April 9. Breaking his silence on Sidhu's attacks, Singh on April 27 dared him to contest from Patiala in the 2022 polls and predicted that he will lose his deposit. Furthermore, he contended that Sidhu wanted to join some other party.  In another development, the ex-cricketer has dared Amarinder Singh to take action amid speculation that the Punjab Vigilance Bureau is investigating some allegations against him and his aides. 

(With Agency Inputs)

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Published July 1st, 2021 at 08:54 IST

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