After lying low for months, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu is at his aggressive best against Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, again. Sidhu has been in rebellion mode and questioning Amarinder's leadership, and in the process complicating matters for the Congress in Punjab months ahead of Assembly elections.
As Sidhu went public with his ire against the chief minister, there was speculation whether he was preparing to leave the Congress, something that he has denied. There has also been talk about his ambitions and whether his outburst had something to do with his desire to be suitably accommodated in the state unit; in other words, be appointed as state Congress president.
Sidhu has indicated his frustration at being given a raw deal in the party as he said in a series of interviews over the weekend that he was not a “showpiece” to be displayed at the time of elections and be placed inside the cupboard once the polls are over. He has also minced no words in attacking Amarinder, identifying him as one of the pillars of the 'system' in the state, the other pillar being the Akalis, against whom he was agitating.
A three-member committee appointed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to resolve the differences in the Punjab Congress had met Sidhu, Amarinder and a number of MLAs, MPs, ministers and other leaders from the state and submitted a report on the factors contributing to the tension and the possible solutions. The panel, headed by leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and comprising AICC General Secretary in charge of Punjab Harish Rawat and senior leader J.P. Aggarwal submitted its report, which is learnt to have stated that while Amarinder is indisputably the most popular leader on the ground and there is no challenge to his leadership, he needs to make amends to his style of functioning and be more inclusive. It also said that organisational changes were required, including replacing the state unit president, and also that Sidhu should be rehabilitated as deputy chief minister.
However, Sidhu is said to be not interested in being appointed deputy chief minister. Ahead of Amarinder's meeting with the central panel in Delhi, Sidhu tweeted: “17 Years—Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, MLA, Minister… Just one Motive, to change the system that runs Punjab & Give back the Power of the People to the People. But when the system said No to every attempt for reform, I rejected the system, though it kept offering me Cabinet Berths!"
Sidhu is not interested in a cabinet berth under Amarinder, but is said to be keen on a role that effectively makes him a face of the party in the elections. He is learnt to be interested in being appointed as state Congress president. However, Amarinder is not expected to agree to it.
Moreover, Sidhu will also have to deal with other detractors of Amarinder in the Punjab Congress. Although these detractors are not very happy about the manner in which Amarinder has projected himself as the chief ministerial face for the next Assembly elections, and have various other concerns, which include getting an adequate stake in ticket distribution in the coming polls, they are not sympathetic to Sidhu's aspirations.
While Sidhu does not enjoy sizable support in the Punjab Congress, he is learnt to have the backing of the Gandhi siblings, who would not want to let go of him as he is perceived as a crowd-puller and is known for his powerful oratory.
A number of Punjab Congress leaders may have agreed with the concerns Sidhu voiced over the government not fulfilling the promise made in the previous election campaign about bringing to book the culprits of the sacrilege incidents of 2015. The Congress had promised to hold the Badals accountable for the police firing that took place in Kotkapura in Faridkot as protests erupted over the alleged desecration of the Sikh holy scripture. But these leaders are not in favour of Sidhu being promoted over other more senior party leaders.
While Amarinder's detractors may want him to make amends ahead of the state polls, they are uneasy with Sidhu's open rebellion, since they feel the public spat is not going down well with the people and want the imbroglio to be resolved at the earliest.
There are no easy solutions though as the party leadership tries to balance the need to support the incumbent with the necessity of holding on to Sidhu.
