Congress High Command Intervenes; Tells Sidhu Camp That Amarinder Singh Is Punjab Captain
The Congress high command has apparently told the Navjot Singh Sidhu camp that incumbent Chief Minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh will lead the party in the assembly elections in Punjab next year.
Notably, Sidhu’s faction had upped the demands for the CM’s ouster in the last few days. Anticipating a pushback from Captain Singh’s men, the Congress is now looking to douse the situation by putting its weight behind the party veteran.
This comes just a month after they elevated Sidhu to the post of the president of the state unit of the Congress.
Harish Rawat, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Punjab, held meetings with four state ministers, namely: Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Charanjit Singh Channi, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Sukhbinder Singh Sakaria.
The quartet demanded Singh’s removal as the CM of the state, Economic Times reports.
However, following the meeting, Rawat said, “The Congress party functions by well-established traditions. Captain Amarinder Singh ji was elected as Punjab CM by the party leadership and he continues as the CM. So, we will contest 2022 Punjab elections under the leadership of Amrinder Singh Ji.”
He further added, “As PCC president, Navjyot Singh Sidhu ji has the responsibility to keep the Punjab Congress united and strong and contribute to the party’s and the state government’s efforts to win the assembly polls.”
Rawat has also mentioned that the internal differences within the Congress won’t influence the stability of their current government in Punjab. He said that they will look into the sudden disappointment of a large chunk of the MLAs and also try to resolve these issues.
