In Chandigarh to bring Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and former Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on the same page for scripting a new chapter on the state’s political history, Punjab Congress’ party affair’s in-charge Harish Rawat on Wednesday hinted at an assertive role for the cricketer-turned politician “soon”.
Rawat, who held a detailed meeting with Sidhu at Punjab Bhawan on Wednesday, gave enough indications of the imminent reshuffle in the state party unit with Assembly elections now less than a year away.
Even as Rawat did not reveal what exactly transpired in the meeting, he maintained that we have decided that Sidhu did not need “to remain silent for long”. He was responding to the queries related to the Sidhu’s tweet, in which he had advised to do such deeds, that your silence also becomes headlines. “Shor machaane se surkhiyaan nahi milti janaab, Karm aise karo ke khamoshi bhi akhbaaron mein chhap jaaye” (loosely translated as making noise does not get headlines, sir. Do such deeds that even silence should be published in newspapers), he tweeted.
Saying that Sidhu’s tweet “fits him perfectly”, Rawat said: “Considering the challenges of the 2022 assembly elections, we have decided that we will not allow him to remain silent for long.”
However, Rawat did not elaborate what “big responsibility” would be given to Sidhu. “This is not mine prerogative, but that of the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. My job is just to untangle the knots (bring them on same page and in talking terms),” he said.
Seeing Rawat’s insistence to bring Sidhu back in Punjab’s mainstream politics and Sidhu again becoming “active” even meeting with the party high command, the Capt Amarinder’s camp has also become active which do not want Sidhu to become stronger enough to result in two ‘power centres’ working within the party.
The power struggle within the party has reached to another level with Sidhu challenging his opponents by indicating his keenness to take over the reins of the state unit — something which Capt Amarinder never want. In fact, Capt Amarinder had offered a Cabinet berth to his party colleague even offering any department “other than the local government”. Notably, the Sidhu resigned from the State Cabinet in protest against the Chief Minister’s decision to divest him of Local Government Department.
In another “way out”, the Chief Minister and his coterie is contemplating to push for a rejig which has his men in the “positions of control”. It has been learnt that the Chief Minister was thinking in terms of proposing an OBC leader for the post of the state party chief, to replace his loyalist Sunil Jakhar. Sources maintained that the name former Finance Minister and Punjab Mandi Board chairman Lal Singh was in consideration zone. Singh, a senior Congress leader, is known for his political acumen, and experience.
A section of party leaders, including several legislators, have time and again demanded to give a charismatic leader like Sidhu a significant role, especially with the elections inching closer.