Navjot Singh Sidhu gets rousing welcome in Jalandhar

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 20

To get a glimpse of new PPCC chief Navjot Sidhu, a large number of Congress party workers gathered at a reception party organised by Jalandhar North MLA Bawa Henry on the Jalandhar-Amritsar highway this afternoon.

As the cavalcade of Sidhu going from Chandigarh via Khatkar Kalan towards Amritsar was to pass from the city, Henry had organised a welcome for him at his petrol pump in Guru Gobind Singh Avenue. The party workers continued to stand by the roadside taking shelter under sheds or using umbrellas for over two hours to give a hero’s welcome to Sidhu. Sidhu too had opened the sunroof of his car and responded to the workers’ welcome with the same enthusiasm.

The PPCC chief was presented with several bunches of bouquets, garlands and showering of flowers. He waved back to the crowds, expressed his gratitude and took out his hand to shake it with anyone who reached out to him. Bawa Henry walked along Sidhu for about 10 minutes till the convoy passed through the area.

Even as Henry extended full support to Sidhu, especially since his Sunday’s visit to his place, some other MLAs are yet to tag along. Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh did not turn up even though both had been showing up together for the past two days. Kartarpur MLA Chaudhary Surinder Singh had gone to Chandigarh on Monday and had figured in the group photo of MLAs organised at the residence of Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa.

Those who are still maintaining a distance include Jalandhar Central MLA Rajinder Beri, Jalandhar West MLA Sushil Rinku, Shahkot MLA Hardev Laddi and Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh.

These MLAs have not even expressed their support for Sidhu on social media. They are learnt to be either waiting for the much-awaited Sidhu-CM meeting or are expecting Sidhu to call on them too before they take any step forward. Sultanpur Lodhi MLA Navtej Cheema, who is considered to be a staunch loyalist of CM Capt Amarinder Singh, and was sort of averse to Sidhu, has already hosted him at his Chandigarh residence.

Cheema quips, “Everyone will ultimately tag along. Afterall, it is a decision of the party high command.” Laddi said, “My brother-in-law Pargat is already in the forefront along with Sidhu. I too will follow him sooner or later.”

Phagwara: As Sidhu’s cavalcade turned towards Jalandhar from the Phagwara bypass, hundreds of Congress workers led by former Punjab Minister and Chairman of Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Joginder Singh Mann gave him a rousing reception. Phagwara MLA Balwinder Dhaliwal, however, gave the event a miss.

The new PPCC president was welcomed with drum beats, flowers and sweets. The Congress workers raised slogans in his favour. Buoyed over enthusiasm of Congress workers, Mann claimed, “Sidhu’s appointment has infused a new spirit among the Congress cadres ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls.”

On the occasion, Mann was accompanied by party leaders Harjit Singh Parmar, Satbir Singh Sahbi and Daljit Singh Raju. They all said they hoped that the party would get further strengthened under the leadership of Sidhu.