Cong's Punjab affairs in charge Harish Rawat to visit Chandigarh next week

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 11

Ahead of the impending Cabinet reshuffle, Punjab affairs in charge and AICC general secretary Harish Rawat is scheduled to visit Chandigarh next week, making yet another effort to iron out differences between CM Capt Amarinder Singh and PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

The development follows Congress president Sonia Gandhi asking the CM and Sidhu to work in tandem and not at cross-purposes. Amid the “scaled-up unease” in the state party unit, Rawat’s visit is being seen as a move to ensure that none of the ministers, who have been opposing the CM, are dropped out and in the reshuffle the Sidhu camp also gets due representation. Sources privy to the discussion said though some names have been suggested to the party high command by the CM, the top brass would try to ensure that some name(s) from the Sidhu camp were adjusted in the way of elevation or a better department.

After CM, Sidhu’s men to meet Sonia

• Following the CM’s meeting with Sonia Gandhi, five ministers and six MLAs in the Sidhu camp would be meeting the party president in New Delhi soon
• It is learnt that their appointment has not been confirmed yet
• Sidhu and his close associates are holding regular meetings to achieve wider consensus among MLAs

Though the CM has not made public his choice of those to be inducted, he is learnt to have stressed inclusion of Balmiki leader in the government. The names doing the rounds are Dr Raj Kumar Verka, a Balmiki leader, Rana KP Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker, Dr Raj Kumar Chabewal, a Dalit MLA and another MLA from Doaba. Sources did not rule out dropping of two ministers whose names had figured in recent controversies.

The party’s top brass would make an effort to address the Hindu and Dalit vote bank issue in the Cabinet rejig. Following the CM’s meeting with Sonia Gandhi, the ministers and MLAs in the Sidhu camp would also be meeting the party leader in New Delhi in the coming days.

The appointment sought by five ministers and six MLAs (who are former advisers to the CM) to meet the party president has not been confirmed yet, it is learnt. Sidhu and his close associates are holding regular meetings to achieve wider consensus among MLAs before further stepping up pressure on the CM. It is learnt that Sidhu would be meeting all party MLAs in a few days.