Navjot Singh Sidhu named Punjab Congress chief

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 18

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as Punjab Congress chief.

She also named four working presidents of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee.

They are: Sangat Singh Gilzian, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Pawan Goel and Kuljit Singh Nagra.   

"Congress president has appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect," according to a party statement.

"The party appreciates the contributions of outgoing PCC president Sunil Jakhar," the statement said.

Nagra, who was in-charge of party affairs in Sikkim, Nagaland and Tripura, has been relieved of his present responsibilities.

In the run-up to his appointment, cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu had stepped up his efforts and reached out to more party leaders and legislators for their support.

While Sidhu's name was opposed by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh who wrote a letter to the Congress president, but on Saturday, party's state in charge Harish Rawat flew to Chandigarh to pacify the sulking CM.

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After the meeting, Amarinder Singh reiterated that any decision of the party chief would be acceptable but said he raised certain issues which Rawat said he would take up with her.

Accept leadership’s decision: Ashwani Kumar to Punjab Cong leaders

Senior Congress leader and former law minister Ashwani Kumar on Sunday urged party leaders in Punjab to gracefully accept decision of the Congress high command to appoint Navjot Singh Sidhu as the new state party president and stressed on maintaining unity while fighting the upcoming assembly polls.

The former Rajya Sabha member from Punjab said the Congress leadership’s decision should now be accepted by all in the interest of party unity.

“This is a time to be united. There are no victors or losers. Reconciliation is the way forward. All Congress persons will, hopefully, have a role to play in fighting an ideological battle,” he said in a statement.

His remarks come amid factionalism in the Punjab unit and a series of meetings by various factions ahead of the party’s revamp.

The chief minister and the incoming PPCC chief will need to pull together, and for this purpose magnanimity is expected on both sides, Kumar said.

“It is necessary to ensure that no one feels diminished. Sometimes, and in a complex political situation, perfect solutions are impossible. We know that in politics a person is as important as the purpose one serves,” he said.

“The voice of the silent majority that defines the conscience of the party is in favour of unity and should be heeded,” the former law minister also said.

Sidhu emerged as the frontrunner for the post of PPCC chief but the chief minister was opposed to the move and a flurry of political activity was on to prevent him from becoming the new party chief, sources said. — With agency inputs

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