Ahead of Kharge panel report, 5 party MPs rally behind Capt
The three-member central panel, formed to look into Punjab Cong internal crisis, will submit its report within 3-4 days
CHANDIGARH : As the threemember panel under leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on factionalism in the Punjab Congress held a meeting in Delhi to finalise its report, five party MPs met chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday to express their support.
The five Lok Sabha MPs, including Capt’s wife Preneet Kaur, Jasbir Singh Gill, Santokh Choudhary, Dr Amar Singh and Mohammad Sadiqe, who called on the chief minister at his residence, discussed with him the strategy for the assembly polls due early next year. They reposed faith in Amarinder’s leadership and ability to successfully lead the party, citing his governance record and administrative as the party’s key strengths.
On Monday, three other MPs – Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Manish Tewari and Ravneet Singh Bittu – had met the CM. These meetings, which saw all eight Lok Sabha members of the Congress meet him, are being seen in party circles as a “show of support and accessibility” even as the party high command is trying to find a way to suitably adjust Sidhu without rocking the CM’s boat.
The appointment of two deputy chief ministers, including Sidhu and another from the Dalit community, besides rejig of the state unit, is a strong option being considered, a senior party leader familiar with the developments said. However, the biggest challenge for the Congress will be to get both Capt and Sidhu to agree to this.
The CM has already on various occasions voiced his opposition to having the Amritsar East MLA back in his team as the deputy chief minister or the state unit chief. On the other hand, Sidhu is now more interested in the state chief’s post, which will allow him a say in ticket distribution for the state polls.
“Sidhu is not likely to agree to anything less than the state unit chief’s position. As for the deputy CM’s post, there is hardly any time left for the government,” according to sources close to the former minister.
Meanwhile, the Kharge committee, which has been tasked with finding a solution to this squabbling, is learnt to be in touch with the party leadership. “We will have another sitting tomorrow,” committee member and former Delhi Congress president Jai Prakash Agarwal said after the meeting. Kharge also told a news agency that the panel will submit the report within 3-4 days.