Sidhu’s supporters concerned over tussle with CM

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 12

Residents of the Amritsar East Assembly segment and political supporters of Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu are concerned and anxious to know the fate of their elected leader amid his ongoing tussle with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

Shalinder Singh Shelly, councillor of ward number 46, which falls in the East constituency, said the councillors of the Assembly segment lost the advantage after the Local Bodies portfolio was withdrawn from Sidhu. He added that in wards majority of the works were related to the corporation which were controlled by the Local Bodies ministry. Moreover, maximum number of slum localities in the city are situated in the East constituency. This has left the concerned.

Despite these, he said he had full faith in the capability and honesty of Sidhu and would support him through thick and thin.

Another staunch supporter, councillor Daman Deep Singh said, “Come what may, I will stand by Sidhu couple.”

Originally a Congress councillor in 2007, he had joined the BJP in 2012. He re-joined the Congress as Sidhu did in 2017. He said the area residents frequently asked them what would be the outcome of the tussle between Sidhu and the Chief Minister. He added that the supporters of Sidhu were concerned over the conflict. However, he is not ready to withdraw his support from the Sidhu couple in any circumstances.

Earlier, a tussle between Sidhu with former Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and former Cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia had preceded the last Assembly elections. After finding no support from the saffron party amid his tussle with Shiromani Akali Dal leaders, the Sidhu couple had joined the Congress.

Similarly, residents are concerned over the fate of ambitious projects floated and mooted by Navjot Singh Sidhu in his capacity as Local Bodies Minister.

A few such projects are converting Bhagtanwala garbage dump, situated near the city, into a processing plant and green area, a flyover at Sant Singh Sukha Singh Chowk, railway overbridge (ROB) at 22 number railway phatak (crossing) and expansion of Bhandari railway overbridge (ROB).

A resident, Harinder Singh, feared that these projects may face the similar fate as was the case with the projects during his previous stint with the SAD-BJP regime. Ambitious projects like multi-utility sports stadium of international standards, a beautiful garden-cum- jogging track along the Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) and Solid Waste Management Plant (SWMP) had not then materialised.