As Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and his proposed deputy Navjot Singh Sidhu continue to write different political scripts, the Congress’ interim president Sonia Gandhi is set to meet them on June 20, along other senior leaders from the state, to bring them on the same page.
And to make sure that his critics don’t rock his boat before the party high command, the Chief Minister continued to engage in lunch diplomacy. Meeting the party leaders and legislators for the past two days, the Chief Minister on Thursday hosted a royal luncheon for his Cabinet colleagues, including those who are unhappy with him.
Moreover, the meeting came a day before the State Cabinet is set to take up a long list of agendas in a crucial meeting on Friday.
The nine Cabinet Ministers invited for the lunch included Sukhjinder Randhawa and Charanjit Singh Channi who have reportedly aired their grievances against the Chief Minister before the three-member panel, set up by the high command to resolve the infighting and power struggle in the Punjab party unit.
Speculations are rife that a Cabinet reshuffle is on the cards, besides significant changes in the party’s organizational structure.
The high command is struggling to find out a way to “suitably adjust” Sidhu, who has adopted a rebellious attitude against his own party’s Government, especially the Chief Minister, ahead 2022 polls that was harming the party’s poll prospects which is facing the anti-incumbency in the state.
Sources informed The Pioneer that the party high command was caught in a catch-22 situation where it was difficult to keep both the warring sides happy as Capt Amarinder has categorically refused the proposal to appoint Sidhu as state party chief while agreeing to re induct him in the Cabinet or as his deputy. On the other hand, Sidhu has conveyed it to the party high command that he would not be able to work “under Capt Amarinder” while indicating his preference to be appointed as the state party chief.
Moreover, it is unlikely that both the top positions would be given to the Jat Sikhs, and also to the leaders hailing from Patiala.
“Party chief Sonia Gandhi has summoned senior leaders from the State on June 20. Chief Minister, Sidhu, Punjab party president Sunil Jakhar, Cabinet Ministers or even senior leaders like Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa are expected to join the meeting. However, it is yet not confirmed if all the leaders would sit face to face to resolve the prevailing crisis.
The three-member committee comprising Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, former MP JP Agarwal, and party’s state affairs’ in-charge Harish Rawat, had submitted its detailed report recommending to contest the 2022 polls under Capt Amarinder’s leadership.
The party had recommended to “suitably accommodate” Sidhu, while also pressing upon the urgent need to adjust all the sections of the society at top positions within the party or the government.
It has been learnt that Sonia Gandhi has already gone through the report and would take a decision only after personally interacting with all the leaders. It has also been learnt that the party supremo has getting an independent survey done in Punjab, however, it was not exactly known whether the survey is to access any leader’s popularity or the performance of the party and the government.
Sidhu has resigned from the State Cabinet in July 2019 and maintained a distance from the party activities since then. It was only the previous year, when the farmers’ agitation was on its peak, he made a comeback in the state political scene, and participated in Rahul Gandhi’s tractor rally. Subsequently, he started attacking his own party’s government and the Chief Minister over the several issues.
As Rawat made strenuous efforts to break the ice between Sidhu and Capt Amarinder, the two leaders attempted to resolve their differences over tea on March 17 this year, but all in vain.
The relationship took a bad hit after the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed the SIT probe into the Kotkapura firing incident on April 9, that followed sharp attacks by Sidhu against the Chief Minister for purportedly delaying the justice in the incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and the subsequent police firing incidents.
Breaking his silence on Sidhu's attacks, Capt Amarinder on April 27 dared him to contest from Patiala in the 2022 polls and predicted that he will lose his deposit. Furthermore, he contended that the cricketer-turned-politician wanted to join some other party.
‘NO RESOLUTION IN SIGHT’
Indications are that the high command may replace the state party chief Sunil Jakhar — to maintain the equilibrium amongst all sections within the party, and also the state party affairs in-charge Harish Rawat — who himself wanted to concentrate in his home state, Uttarakhand, which is also slated to go to polls along with Punjab.
Rawat, after meeting the party’s national president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, had stated that a comprehensive party revamp was underway and consultations were on.
The party has all along been insisting on putting up a united faced while bringing everyone along, and that was why the delay in taking the final call in the matter.
With the political equations going under massive change in Punjab and new alliances evolving, the party high command is engaged in a complex balancing act.
As Sidhu has made it clear not to work under Capt Amarinder, the party high command is looking for a fair resolution to the matter. To maintain the caste and regional equilibrium, the party wanted to have a top post for a Hindu as per its tradition, besides giving a major responsibility to a Dalit leader, besides OBC.
“Sidhu is the main issue where the matter is holding-up. We are discussing ways to adjust all. Appointing working president along with the party chief, or appointing two deputies are the proposals we are discussing,” a senior party leader, who did not wish to be named, said.
It is believed that the party may given a major responsibility, that of state party chief or a Cabinet berth to a Dalit leader for which name of Raj Kumar Verka is doing the rounds. Besides, the name of former Union Minister and MP Manish Tewari is also in reckoning for party chief as Hindu face.
Indications are that the high command is expected to take the final call by the first week of July.