In the ongoing political game with his own team, the cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu will meet the umpires — Congress national vice-president Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra — on Tuesday.
The much-anticipated meeting comes at a time when the Congress’ central leadership is making hectic efforts to resolve the prevailing power struggle and iron out differences between the state’s senior leaders ahead of the crucial 2022 assembly elections.
Notably, Sidhu had earlier aired his views about the party, the state government, and also on the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh during his meeting with the Congress high command constituted a three-member panel, headed by the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge with state party affairs in-charge Harish Rawat and former ML JP Aggarwal as its members.
Even as the former cricketers stopped targeting his own party’s government in Punjab and also against Capt Amarinder following the meeting via social media, Sidhu once again started his attacks over the issue of drugs and also action against the Badals in sacrilege and related police firing cases.
The panel, in its report, has reportedly recommended Capt Amarinder’s name to be the party’s and also the government’s face ahead of 2022 elections, while insisting on “suitably accommodating” Sidhu in the party.
As per information available, Sidhu has been offered the post of Deputy Chief Minister and re-induction in the Cabinet — which he was not satisfied and had purportedly expressed apprehensions of not working “under” Capt Amarinder. It is believed that Sidhu is more interested in leading the state party unit — a proposal strongly opposed by Capt Amarinder indicating that running the Government would become difficult with Sidhu leading the party.
Another proposal was also to appoint Sidhu as the party’s campaign committee head ahead of elections — which is also a major role in a poll-bound state.
It is believed that during the meeting, the Gandhi duo would be openly discussing with Sidhu the proposals of roles or responsibilities to be offered to him. Besides, the discussion would also be held on the party’s standing in the state, emerging scenario, changing political equations in Punjab, in the run up to 2022 Assembly elections.
In addition, Sidhu may also be questioned about his personal verbal attacks on the Chief Minister during his recent media interviews — to which Rahul Gandhi had also taken a strong objection and the issue was also raised by the Chief Minister in his meeting with the Kharge panel.
It has been learnt that during the Chief Minister’s recent meeting with the Kharge panel, extensive discussion was held on the proposals for Sidhu's adjustment in the party. Sources informed that the Chief Minister was given some options to choose from, however, Capt Amarinder’s reaction was still unknown.
Notably, Rahul Gandhi has met several leaders from Punjab, including legislators, parliamentarians, Cabinet Ministers, former MPs or MLAs, among others, over the period of past two weeks to listen to their grievances and get first-hand information of the party’s standing in the State.
After Sidhu’s meeting, it is expected that the Chief Minister may once again be asked to appear in the Delhi Durbar before arriving at the final decision. Rawat, the state party affairs in-charge, had already stated that the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi may take the final call regarding changes in party’s organizational structure among other things by July 8-10.