The political gridlock within the Congress party’s Punjab unit appears to be heading for a resolution. A day after the cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu’s cryptic tweets hinted at the possibility of joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the reports of Congress party and its senior leaders in Punjab apparently agreeing to offer the State party chief’s post to him is doing the rounds.
If the sources within the Congress are to be believed, Sidhu is set to become the new Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president with two working presidents — one a Hindu leader and another a Dalit — to balance the caste equations.
At the same time, the sitting Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, who is going under the grind to suitably accommodate Sidhu, is believed to be given a significant responsibility in the party’s national team.
Notably, Sidhu a day before had tweeted that the Opposition Aam Aadmi Party has always recognised his vision and work. “Our opposition AAP has always recognised my vision & work for Punjab. Be it Before 2017- Beadbi, Drugs, Farmers Issues, Corruption & Power Crisis faced by People of Punjab raised by me or today as I present “Punjab Model” It is clear they know - who is really fighting for Punjab.”
In a series of tweets shared along with video clips of AAP leaders praising him, Sidhu said: “If the Opposition dares to question me, yet they can’t escape my Pro-People Agenda...This means they have resigned to their fate!!”
“Our Opposition singing about me and other loyal Congressmen:- tum agar AAP mein aaoge to koi baat nahin? tum agar Congress mein rahoge to mushkil hogi (if you join the AAP, then there is no issue...if you stay in the Congress, then there will be a problem),” he added.
Sidhu’s tweets came amid efforts by the Congress high command to resolve infighting in the party’s Punjab unit and speculation that he may be appointed as the state unit president.
Sources informed The Pioneer that the final formulation has been devised by taking the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh into confidence. Notably, Capt Amarinder has all along been opposing Sidhu’s appointment as PPCC chief arguing that the leaders from the same community (Jat Sikh) cannot occupy both the top posts — that of party chief and Chief Minister — especially when other sections have expressed concerns over “under” representation. Both Capt Amarinder and Sidhu belong to the Jat Sikh community.
Available information suggests that the decision to elevate Sidhu as the state party chief was taken during the meeting, chaired by Rahul Gandhi, a day before, in which the Chief Minister’s principal adviser and poll strategist Prashant Kishor, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, and Congress’ state affairs’ in-charge Harish Rawat participated. However, it has been learnt that the decision was taken by the party chief Sonia Gandhi, while taking Capt Amarinder’s approval.
It has been learnt that Capt Amarinder has been convinced by assuring the appointment of a leader each from a Hindu community and a Dalit community as working presidents along with Sidhu to tackle the change in political equations after SAD-BSP’s alliance, and BJP set to contest polls on its own.
It is believed that Priyanka Gandhi and Prashant Kishor played a significant role in working out the formula. While Priyanka consistently fought all odds and backed Sidhu to assume the role of PPCC president, Kishor reportedly prevailed upon Capt Amarinder for the decision.
As the official announcement is yet to be made, the high command, as per sources, wanted to take its time for the finalising things, as it did not want to do the party any harm in Punjab which is slated to go for polls in early 2022.
HINDU, DALIT LEADER TO BE WORKING PRESIDENTS
It has been learnt that the party would appoint a Hindu and a Dalit leader as the working presidents while handing over the command to the party’s State unit to Sidhu — apparently to send across a positive message among the Hindu and Scheduled Caste categories.
As of now, the names of Sri Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari, Cabinet Minister Vijay Inder Singla, and Batala’s former MLA Ashwani Sekhri, are in discussion for Hindu working president post. On the other hand, Amritsar West MLA Raj Kumar Verka has emerged to be the frontrunner for dalit working president post.
Notably, Sekhri was set to shift loyalties towards Akali Dal, but it was only after the Chief Minister and party high command’s intervention that he called off his plans at an eleventh hour, and SAD’s all preparations for his joining washed out.