Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Navjot Sidhu had a meeting today.
Chandigarh:
The luncheon meeting of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Navjot Sidhu — his biggest rival and critic within the party — has given rise to speculation that the cricketer-turned-politician might be offered a seat in the cabinet again. The Chief Minister had maintained that Mr Sidhu, inducted in the party from the BJP just three years ago, cannot be elevated to the post of the state president for now.
Mr Sidhu, who was a minister in Amarinder Singh’s government, stepped down last year and had gone on a self-imposed exile.
The rift between the two leaders in Punjab — one of the few states ruled by the Congress — was seen as a complication for the party, with only two years to go before the next assembly elections.
Mr Sidhu had been vocal about the farmers’ protest, and some of his criticism has been directed at his own party’s government in the state.
So following intervention by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat — appointed party in-charge in the state by the party’s top leadership to bridge the gap — a rapprochement was attempted.
Over the last month, Mr Sidhu had avoided any criticism of the Chief Minister and even supported his march against the farm laws in Delhi.
Today’s meeting between the two, held at Mr Singh’s official residence was “warm and cordial”, where the two leaders spent a “pleasant hour” discussing a host of “important political matters of Punjab and national interest”, the Chief Minister’s media advisor said.
Though backed by Rahul Gandhi, Mr Sidhu’s term in the party has so far been unsatisfactory.
Not only did he get the expected prominence – the post of the deputy Chief Minister in the government – after the Congress victory in the assembly elections, he also ran into trouble with Amarinder Singh after his visit to Pakistan. Images of his hugging the Pakistan army chief brought huge condemnation at home and had upset the Chief Minister, who was an officer in the Indian army.
