Rahul Gandhi meets Punjab CM Channi in Delhi, Captain's political entry discussed: Sources

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi met former Congress President Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday. As per sources, a meeting is currently underway between the two leaders at Rahul Gandhi's residence. Yesterday, the Wayanad MP met Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa in the national capital.

This is the first formal in-person meeting between the Punjab CM and the Congress high-command after former Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh announced that he was forming his own political party and contesting on all 117 seats in the Punjab Assembly Elections 2022. Captain's entry into the political fray has jolted the grand-old party and its chances in the upcoming polls. It is learnt that apart from the usual tussle between the CM chair and PPCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, Congress is also looking into preventing its leaders and Amarinder Singh's loyalists from joining his new political outfit. On Tuesday night, Rahul Gandhi had held a close-door discussion with MLAs close to the Captain. 

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, the ex-CM had said that he fulfilled 92% of the promises in the Congress manifesto during his tenure as the CM and mocked the 18-point programme given to him by the Congress leadership. Amarinder Singh is expected to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah today along with 25-30 others to discuss the farmers' agitation. A resolution is likely to pave the way for a Amarinder Singh-BJP alliance in the Punjab polls. 

Channi to meet PM Modi in Delhi

Meanwhile, with Channi in Delhi, sources have informed that the Punjab CM will seek an appointment from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urge him to withdraw the notification for extending the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF). At an all-party meeting in Chandigarh on Wednesday, it was decided that Punjab CM will lead a delegation of all political parties to urge the PM to revoke the notification. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on October 13 empowered BSF to conduct searches, seizures and arrests within a 50 km radius of territories along the international border. Interestingly, this move has been strongly backed by ex-Congress veteran Amarinder Singh who has cited the deteriorating law and order situate and the increased infiltration of Pakistan drones in the border state.