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Updated May 31st, 2021 at 20:56 IST

Sonia Gandhi's Punjab panel hears Sidhu gang's grouses against CM Amarinder amid 2022 fear

Highly placed sources have informed that inside the meeting, the panel gave nearly 10 minutes to each Congress minister and MLA to raise their concerns

Reported by: Jitesh Vachhatani
Congress
Image Credits: ANI/PTI | Image:self
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In a bid to resolve the political scuffle between Punjab CM Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu, the three-member panel appointed by interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi met on Monday morning to hold elaborate discussions with concerned parties. Highly placed sources have informed that inside the meeting, the panel gave nearly 10 minutes to each Congress minister and MLA to express their concerns. Moreover, several MLAs complained that bureaucracy in the state is overpowering people's elected representatives. 

As per sources, MLA Raj Kumar Verka raised the issue of the government not doing enough for the Dalit community in Punjab. Several MLAs also complained against the Punjab CM has been inaccessible to MLAs while Cabinet Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa raised several points including justice denied to people in sacrilege case, sources said. 

Committee to stretch Punjab Congress ahead of 2022 polls 

The panel which has been set by Congress President Sonia Gandhi to resolve the infighting ahead of the Punjab polls comprises Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge as chairman and AICC general secretary in-charge for Punjab affairs Harish Rawat and J P Aggarwal. Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, who is a member of the panel, had said that its primary goal was to strengthen the state government in Punjab. 

"Our primary mandate is to strengthen the government and the party at the grassroots level and to help unite the Congress in Punjab and ensure its victory in the 2022 assembly polls," Rawat told PTI. He also stated that the panel would urge the leaders in Punjab not to air their grievances and views against each other in public and in the media. "We would be talking to former party presidents and other key leaders in Punjab on how to strengthen the party and resolve any differences among state leaders," he added.

Face-off between Captain Amarinder Singh & 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.

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Published May 31st, 2021 at 20:56 IST

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