Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh to meet Sonia Gandhi today

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 9

Amid PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu and his close associates stepping up pressure on Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh over implementing the party’s 18-point agenda, the latter will be meeting party president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Tuesday.

Sidhu camp seeks time too

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Ministers and legislators in PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu’s camp are also seeking time from the party high command to tell their side of the story

All eyes on Cabinet rejig

State party leaders are waiting curiously to know the high command’s view on the Cabinet rejig. Capt Amarinder’s camp is hopeful of the CM getting a free hand in the rejig

This would be the first meeting of the Chief Minister with the Sonia after Sidhu’s elevation. Tuesday’s meeting has also kicked off political activities, with the hopefuls of Cabinet berths putting in their best efforts. “All eyes are now on Cabinet reshuffle ahead of the Assembly elections due early next year. It will clear the line of action, the party high command adopts,” said a senior party leader.

Though both Capt Amarinder and Sidhu have talked of working as a team, palpable unease between the two exists. The Chief Minister is likely to brief the party president on the progress made on the 18-point agenda. Sources did not rule out the Chief Minister pointing out to the party president about the way things are being handled by Sidhu. On the other hand, ministers and MLAs in Sidhu camp are also seeking time from the party high command.

Sources did not rule out changes of political strategist Prahant Kishor, who recently resigned as Principal Advisor to Chief Minister, playing a role in shaping up the team for the 2022 Assembly elections with Sidhu positioned as PCC chief.

Over the past few days, Sidhu camp has adopted an aggressive posturing. Be it visiting the house of MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur or ministers Sukhjinder Randhawa and Tript Rajinder Bajwa and three MLAs Harminder Singh Gill, Kulbir Singh Zira and Kushaldeep Singh Kiki Dhillon distancing themselves from the assurance given by the Chief Minister that led to lifting of Bargari morcha (stir) over the 2015 sacrilege and police firing incidents. On the other hand, the Chief Minister is giving weightage to the detractors of the leaders in Sidhu camp.