Ex-Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jhakar notices Sidhu omitting his name: 'I am Cong product'

As an unsettling truce sets in Punjab Congress, ex-state chief Sunil Jhakar took a jibe at incoming party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday, asking 'Who has been given the keys?'. In his speech at Sidhu's elevation ceremony, Jhakar expressed his displeasure at not being mentioned by Sidhu in his speech. Stating that Congress has a culture of mollifying upset people, he asserted he was the product of the Congress.

Jhakar: 'You forgot me'

Sidhu takes charge

Burying the hatchet with CM Amarinder Singh, Navjot Singh Sidhu affirmed that he will take all leaders along. Stressing that "every worker of Punjab Congress has become the president of Punjab Congress", he stated that there is no difference between leaders and workers. The CM attended the event but left before Sidhu signed as president of PPCC chief.

Sidhu remarked, "Let the opposition say whatever they need to. The Congress party is one. We are united. We are together." Sidhu met with Capt Singh ahead of the event hinting at a temporary truce.

Putting an end to the speculation, Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee replacing  Sunil Jakhar. In a bid to balance the power equation between the CM and Sidhu, Congress appointed four Working presidents to the state unit - Sangat Singh Gilzian, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Pawan Goel, and Kuljit Singh Nagra. While Amarinder Singh affirmed that he will abide by High Command's decision, he was reportedly not informed of Sidhu's appointment. The miffed CM had demanded a public apology, refusing to meet Sidhu till then.

Sidhu Vs Capt

Sidhu has been at loggerheads with the Punjab Chief Minister after he denied Sidhu's wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu a ticket for the Lok Sabha elections. Later, he was divested of several portfolios which led to his resignation from the cabinet.  He later patched up with CM Amarinder Singh over an informal lunch, but it seems to have gone awry as Sidhu began to attack the CM again. After the HC quashed the SIT probe into 2015 firing sacrilege cases, he targeted the CM for not acting against key Shiromani Akali Dal leaders in the same case. Recently, the Amritsar East MLA has taken to Twitter to advise the CM to cut down on power costs, tweeting several radical suggestions. After the High Command hauled the CM over Sidhu's allegations, Sidhu was made state chief, against Capt Singh's wishes.