Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has been at loggerheads with Punjab Chief Minsiter Captain Amarinder Singh, could soon be given major responsibilities by the national leadership of the Congress party in the next 48 hours, reported India Today. Moreover, a meeting between Sidhu and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi could also take place in New Delhi later this week, the report added.
This comes after Sidhu met Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in New Delhi on Wednesday. According to an ANI report, after meeting Sidhu, Priyanka went to Rahul Gandhi's residence and had a 40-45-minutes-long meeting with him. After the meeting with the Wayanad MP, Priyanka returned to her residence and again held a meeting with Sidhu.
On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi had denied any meeting with party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, reported NDTV. Sidhu had earlier in the day left from his residence in Patiala to meet Gandhi in the national capital amid the ongoing infighting in the Punjab Congress.
The party's top leadership also did not meet Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh who was in Delhi recently for three days. However, a senior Congress leader clarified that Singh had not sought time to meet the top leadership of the party. Singh, however, had met the All India Congress Committee (AICC) panel entrusted with the task to end factionalism in the state unit.
It is to be noted that Rahul Gandhi has held meetings with Punjab Congress MLAs, MPs, and other important leaders from the state, including PCC Chief Sunil Jakhar. On Friday, the leaders who reached Rahul Gandhi's residence to attend a meeting included Vijendra Singla, Rana Gurjit Singh, RS MP Shamsher Singh Dhillon, and MLA Lakhvir Singh.
For the uninitiated, Sidhu, who had resigned from the Punjab Cabinet after he was divested of the local bodies portfolio in 2019, has been at loggerheads with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. He has attacked the him over the alleged delay in justice in the 2015 incidents of sacrilege and subsequent police firing. On the other hand, Singh had slammed Sidhu for continuously attacking him over the sacrilege issue and termed the former's outbursts as "total indiscipline".
Punjab is crucial for Congress as it is one of the few states where the party is in power and the outcome will have an impact on the party's prospects outside the state as well. The Assembly elections in the state are scheduled to take place next year.
