Punjab CM Amarinder meets Sonia Gandhi in Delhi amid PCC chief Sidhu's ceaseless attacks

Amid talk of much-anticipated Cabinet reshuffle, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh met Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her Delhi residence on Tuesday. This was Captain's first meeting with Gandhi after the party high command elevated Navjot Singh Sidhu as the Punjab Congress president - a move fervently opposed by the chief minister.

"Met president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi this evening to discuss various state-related issues. Spent an extremely satisfying one hour with her," said Amarinder Singh, as quoted by his Media Advisor Raveen Thukral.

Singh is likely to have discussed the names of potential candidates for the Cabinet reshuffle and the political situation in Punjab, which goes to the polls early next year. He is speculated to have addressed his grievances with Sidhu, who continuously attacks the Punjab government.

The CM was also expected to discuss the progress made on the 18 issues raised by an AICC panel headed by senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and present an action taken report. Among others, these 18 issues include action against the drug mafia and transport mafia in Punjab and those involved in the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Punjab Congress reshuffle

In an earlier meeting in June called by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, a reshuffle of the Punjab Cabinet was discussed. It was reportedly decided that the present Cabinet, which lacks enough Dalit faces, would be reorganized. The final decision, however, was left in the hands of Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi. Gandhi had called for a meeting with the Cabinet on June 20 to discuss the internal feud between Navjot Singh Sidhu and Amarinder Singh and the restructuring of the party before the 2022 Assembly elections.

Tuesday’s meeting comes amid reports that although both Amarinder Singh and Sidhu have publicly issued statements saying that their differences had been resolved, their tug-of-war continued beyond the public eye.  All of this comes months before Punjab heads into assembly elections. Elections are due for Punjab’s 117 assembly seats in the first half of next year.

IMAGE CREDITS: PTI