‘Jittega Punjab’: Sidhu says his journey has just begun
Sidhu’s appointment as Punjab Cong chief came after rounds of hectic parleys and weeks of bitter infighting in party
NEW DELHI: A day after being named as Congress’ Punjab unit chief, Navjot Singh Sidhu vowed to bring power back in the hands of people. The former cricketer-turned-politician said he is eyeing to fulfill the ‘Jittega Punjab’ mission for Congress.
“Today, to work further for the same dream & strengthen the invincible fort of @Incindia, Punjab. I am grateful to Hon’ble Congress President Sonia Gandhi Ji, Shri@rahulgandhi Ji & Smt @priyankagandhi Ji for bestowing their faith in me & giving me this pivotal responsibility,” Sidhu tweeted from his official account.
“Will work along every member of Congress family in Punjab to fulfil the mission of #Jittegapunjab as a humble Congress worker to Give Power of the People Back to the People through the #Punjabmodel & High Command’s 18 Point Agenda ... My Journey has just begun !!,” the new Congress chief in Punjab said in subsequent tweet.
Shortly after his elevation to the key position in the pollbound state on Sunday, Sidhu visited gurdwara Shri Dukhniwaran Sahib in Patiala and offered prayers. After weeks of bitter infighting, Sidhu was declared as Punjab Congress chief by party president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday evening.
After offering prayers at the gurdwara with his supporters and few party members, he later reached his residence in Patiala.
The Congress party is pinning its hopes on Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and Sidhu together for winning the 2022 assembly elections.
Party members have welcomed the Congress’ move to hand over the Punjab unit to Sidhu and said it is a thoughtful move. They also claimed that no one is upset with the decision and everything will be all right. “The high command must have taken a thoughtful decision. He is young and was an active parliamentarian. He has the zeal to work so we welcome it,” Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said, reported news agency ANI.
Kharge was appointed as one of the three members by the Congress high command to resolve the crisis in Punjab.
Sidhu was appointed the Punjab Congress chief after rounds of hectic parleys between Congress high command, Amarinder Singh and the Amritsar MLA. Earlier this month, Sidhu came to the national capital and met Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as the infighting played out with visible cracks in the Punjab unit. Sidhu, who is critical of party leader and Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, accused him of colluding with the Badals of the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Congress’s arch-rival in Punjab.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi formed a three-member committee to resolve the rift. In its report on June 10, the panel suggested that Sidhu be suitably accommodated in the state unit.
Sidhu had expressed his desire to be the state unit chief. But the chief minister, the biggest vote-catcher for the party in the poll-bound state, is averse to the idea. Differences between the two led to Sidhu’s resignation from the state Cabinet in July 2019.
In their last seen episode of contention, former Punjab minister Sidhu on May 21 challenged CM Singh to prove that he had met any leader of another party for switching sides.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday expressed hope that newly appointed Punjab Congress president Sidhu would take everyone along and carry forward the party’s traditions and policies.
Congratulating Sidhu on his appointment, Gehlot said that it has been the tradition in the Congress that before a decision is taken, everyone is consulted and everyone gets a chance to express their views.
“Once the party high command takes a decision while keeping everyone’s opinion in mind, thereafter all Congress members follow the tradition of uniting and accepting it. This is the biggest strength of Congress even today,” Gehlot said.