Rahul Gandhi enters Punjab Cong tussle; speaks to 16 MLAs; takes stock of internal issue

After Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu met a 3-member panel formed by the Party's interim president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi jumped into the tussle of Punjab Congress. Sources have informed Republic Media Network that Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi spoke to around 16 MLAs of Congress' Punjab unit regarding the infighting in the party. The Wayanad MP had also asked about the party's position for the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab and took stock of CM Amarinder Singh Vs Navjot Sidhu issue from the MLAs, sources added.

Navjot Sidhu meets 3-member panel formed by Sonia Gandhi

On Tuesday, Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu met the three-member panel formed by party president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi and apprised it of the ground reality in Punjab. Asserting that truth cannot be suppressed for long, he took another dig at Punjab CM Amarinder Singh by stressing the need to defeat every anti-Punjab force ahead of the 2022 Assembly election. While Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar along with 25 MLAs interacted with the committee a day earlier, Singh is likely to meet the panel on Wednesday. 

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu remarked, "I came here to convey the voice of the people from the grassroots in Punjab. My stance has been, is, and will remain that the democratic power which goes to the government and financial power which goes to the government in the form of taxes should go back to the people. The power of the people must return to the people in any form. I have conveyed the truth in its entirety. Truth can be suppressed but not defeated." 

Sources told Republic TV that the cricketer turned politician and raised questions about the state government's performance in front of the committee. He also reportedly targeted the CM for not acting against key Shiromani Akali Dal leaders in the sacrilege case. 

Face-off between Captain Amarinder Singh & Navjot Sidhu

While the tiff between Navjot Singh Sidhu and Captain Amarinder Singh is long-standing, it escalated recently after the two fired salvos at each other in public and on social media. This has even led to an open request by the cricketer-turned-politician for an intervention of the Congress High Command. 

Recently, Sidhu’s confidante - Congress MLA Pargat Singh addressed a press conference and alleged that Captain sent his OSD to threaten him to withdraw his support for Sidhu. This was followed by a meeting by a group of ministers and MLAs who allegedly gathered against the CM to 'prepare a strategy'. Meanwhile, Singh has dared Sidhu to contest from Patiala in the 2022 polls remarking that he will lose his deposit. He has also alleged that the cricketer-turned-politician wanted to join another party.

(Image: PTI, ANI)