Captain Amarinder Singh, the chief minister of Punjab, has been going through a rough patch in recent weeks. In addition to open dissidence by Navjot Singh Sidhu, there has also been a perception that Amarinder was being cold-shouldered by the top leadership of the Congress.
On Thursday, Amarinder held a lunch meeting with top Congress leaders from urban areas of Punjab. Amarinder put up a seemingly innocuous tweet about the meeting that said, "Had a fruitful discussion with senior Congress colleagues from urban areas of Punjab. We have taken their feedback to strengthen the party at the grassroots level."
Among those who took part in the meeting were state cabinet ministers Brahm Mohindra, Vijay Inder Singla, O.P. Soni, Rana Gurmit Sodhi and Bharat Bhushan Ashu. MPs Manish Tewari and Gurjit Singh Aujla and MLA Raj Kumar Verka and several district-level leaders participated. Minister Vijay Inder Singla described the meeting as “interactive”. MLA Raj Kumar Verka said it was called to discuss urban issues. It was notable that most of the leaders invited were Hindus.
The Tribune and The Indian Express reported that the participants at the meeting sought a Hindu be appointed chief of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Navjot Singh Sidhu is believed to be keen on the position of state Congress chief as he did not want to be seen as working 'under' Amarinder.
Both publications claimed the leaders at Amarinder's meeting would oppose appointment of Sidhu as the state Congress chief.
"The meeting and the demand are being seen as yet another signal by the chief minister to the [Congress] high command that he was not in favour of Sidhu being appointed as state Congress president. Sources say the chief minister has already conveyed his view to the central leadership. The two leaders that Amarinder prefers for the post are said to be Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari and state Education and PWD Minister Vijay Inder Singla," The Indian Express reported.
Interestingly, incumbent Congress state chief Sunil Jakhar, who is also a Hindu, was not invited for the lunch meeting.
"A number of leaders told the CM that Hindu leaders were feeling alienated. As many as 15 Assembly segments from were (sic) Hindu leaders were fielded earlier, have been handed over to Jat Sikhs. We raised this issue. Also, we requested the CM that the PCC chief should also be a Hindu,” The Indian Express quoted a leader from the Malwa region as saying.
Rawat remains optimistic
Interestingly, Harish Rawat, the Congress general secretary in-charge of Punjab, expressed optimism that a solution to the row in the state unit could be found.
In an interview to Hindustan Times published on Friday, Rawat said "There will be a working arrangement here [in Punjab], too, between Sidhu and Captain Amarinder."
Rawat stressed it was for Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to decide whether Sidhu would be made deputy chief minister or state Congress unit chief.
Rawat was a member of a three-member Congress panel formed to address the crisis in Punjab. While noting that Amarinder should remain chief minister, the panel recommended that Sidhu be suitably accommodated.
