New flashpoint in Punjab tussle? Sidhu wants 1-day Assembly session extended

The simmering tussle between Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Congress state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu seems set to continue.

Last week, the Amarinder Singh government decided to hold a one-day session of the state Assembly on September 3

Amarinder had said he would invite Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Punjab Governor V.P. Badnore and former prime minister Manmohan Singh for the session.

On Monday, Sidhu uploaded a video statement on his Twitter handle, calling for action on the issue of power tariffs in Punjab. Sidhu had previously called for nullification of power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed by the previous Parkash Singh Badal regime.

Sidhu tweeted, "Punjab Govt must immediately issue directions to PSERC in Public Interest to revise tariff being paid to Private Power Plants making the faulty PPAs null & void … Further calling a 5-7 day Vidhan Sabha Session to bring a New Legislation for termination of faulty PPAs!"

Sidhu added, "This will help Punjab Govt give 300 units of free power to all domestic consumers including general category, decrease domestic tariff to 3 Rs per Unit & 5 Rs per Unit for Industry, along with redressal of all outstanding bills, waiving-off the unjustifiable & exorbitant bills!!"

In the video, Sidhu demanded action on the 18-point agenda of demands that was given by the Congress 'high command' to the Amarinder government to implement. In the video, Sidhu noted a one-day Assembly session would be inadequate to discuss the people's issues and called for its extension.

On Sunday, Pargat Singh, a general secretary of the Punjab Congress unit and a loyalist of Sidhu, questioned Harish Rawat, the Congress in-charge of Punjab.

Pargat said Rawat should explain his statement the Congress would fight the next Assembly election under Amarinder. "Harish Rawat ji who can tell about the decision of fighting the 2022 polls under the leadership of Amarinder Singh. Rawat ji is a very mature leader and had been chief minister of Uttarakhand. He should make his statement clear. You (reporters) may ask him when this decision was taken," he said.

Pargat said a three-member Congress panel that sought to address the dissension in Punjab had said state elections would be contested under the leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi.

On Saturday, a delegation of AAP leaders met Governor Badnore, seeking a direction to Amarinder to prove his majority during the special session. Former deputy speaker of Punjab Assembly Bir Devinder Singh told The Times of India that "there was no such provision in the Indian Constitution for a special session, so it would be treated as a regular one", which meant a vote of confidence could be held.