Punjab CM Amarinder ready to add Sidhu to Cabinet; doesn't want him as state Congress head

As the turmoil within the Congress' Punjab faction continues, CM Captain Amarinder Singh has agreed to give a ministerial berth to disgruntled MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu, sources informed on Thursday. Sidhu, who previously held the Tourism and Local Bodies department, had tendered his resignation from Captain Amarinder Singh's Cabinet in 2019 and as relations turned sour, the Amritsar East MLA became a stern critic of the Congress government. According to sources, while Captain Amarinder Singh has agreed to bring Navjot Singh Sidhu back into his Cabinet, the Punjab CM has conveyed to the Congress High Command that he does not want the Amritsar East MLA as Punjab Congress chief. 

The infighting within the Congress faction comes at a very critical time as the state is gearing up for the Assembly Elections slated to be held next year. While Navjot Singh Sidhu has been criticising Captain Amarinder Singh's administration, especially over the delayed justice in the incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib in 2015, sources say that the High Command has made it clear that Captain Amarinder Singh will remain Congress' CM face in the upcoming polls. Captain Amarinder is widely credited for having spearheaded his own win in the 2017 Punjab elections. 

Who will lead Punjab Congress in 2022?

Amid the meetings between Navjot Singh Sidhu and the Gandhis, sources earlier reported that the three-member panel appointed to solve the indifferences had sought a change in the Punjab leadership group, barring the CM. Sources said that Punjab Congress' incumbent chief Sunil Jakhar is likely to be moved out, and former Union Minister Manish Tewari and MLA Vijay Inder Singla are frontrunners to be appointed as the Punjab Congress chief. There have also been murmurs of Sidhu being appointed as Captain Amarinder's deputy, though word of that has cooled of late. 

Meanwhile, a day after Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday met with Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday invited party leaders from urban areas of the state for lunch in Chandigarh. Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday held a 'long meeting' with Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. 

On Tuesday, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi issued a statement saying that 'no meeting' had been scheduled with Sidhu who claimed to have left his residence to meet the top brass namely- Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. Taking to Twitter, Sidhu on Wednesday posted a photo with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sharing that he had held a 'long meeting' with her.

Congress forms a 3-member panel

Congress president Sonia Gandhi had formed a three-member committee comprising Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge, ex-Delhi MP JP Agarwal, and AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab Harish Rawat to end factionalism in the party's Punjab unit. In the last month, the panel that was constituted on May 28 has met multiple stakeholders including MLAs, Ministers, and the CM to ascertain their views ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls. As per sources, the former cricketer-turned-politician has been assured that he will be given an important post after the election. At the same time, the party top brass has warned Sidhu that action will be taken against him if he continues making statements against Amarinder Singh and the Punjab government, sources added.