AMID INFIGHTING WITH SIDHU, AMARINDER MEETS CONG PANEL

NEW DELHI: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Friday met the three-member panel set up by the Congress high command to resolve infighting in the party’s state unit and apprised it of efforts to unite the party, as well as preparedness for the upcoming assembly polls, according to officials aware of the development.

Singh met the panel headed by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge at the party headquarters at Akbar Road here. AICC secretary general incharge for Punjab Harish Rawat and former MP JP Aggarwal are members of the panel.

Singh and his former cabinet colleague Navjot Singh Sidhu have been engaged in a bitter war of words. Sidhu has publicly attacked the chief minister over an SIT report on the sacrilege issue in Punjab.

The panel, set up by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is likely to present its report to her by the weekend or early next week.

After the meeting, Singh said deliberations were about the upcoming polls in the state. “These are party discussions, Assembly elections will be held in six months,” the Punjab chief minister said.