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NEW DELHI: Congress may replace its Punjab unit president Navjot Sidhu in the wake of his continuing differences with colleagues including chief minister Charanjit Channi. A final decision is still to be taken.
Well-placed sources said the party may accept the resignation that Sidhu tendered a few days ago when he announced on the social media that the state government was going slow on sacrilege and drugs cases which was contrary to the promises it had made before the 2017 elections.
The party has not taken kindly to his public resignation and repeated comments which are casting the state government led by the new CM Channi in unflattering light.
“The resignation given by Sidhu may be accepted. the party is looking at possible candidates. However, it’s an open issue still,” a source said.
If Congress indeed removes Sidhu as Punjab president, it would mark an unexpected culmination of extraordinary turn of events in the state in last few months in which the cricketer-turned politician became the catalyst for tremors that resulted first in his appointment as state chief despite the opposition of then CM Amarinder Singh and a big section of the organisation. It later triggered an overhaul which saw the removal of satrap Amarinder Singh, inauguration of first Dalit chief Minister in the history of the state and a complete rejig of the state cabinet.
While Sidhu’s intermittent outbursts are seen as resulting from his peeve at being overlooked for chief ministership following Singh’s removal recently, the maverick politician, however, claims that “it is based on issues and not posts”.
If Sidhu leaves the top state party post, all eyes would be on his next step given that he has options outside Congress still. On his part, he wrote in his resignation letter that he would continue to work for the party, and later in a tweet reaffirmed his loyalty to Congress by saying that “will uphold principles of Gandhi Ji & Shastri Ji … Post or No Post, will stand by RahulGandhi & Priyanka Gandhi! Let all negative forces try to defeat me, but with every ounce of positive energy will make Punjab win, Punjabiyat (Universal Brotherhood) win & every Punjabi win”.
He has since also lauded Priyanka Gandhi on Twitter for her combative stand on Lakhimpur Kheri violence in UP, and also led a march to Kheri with party MLAs and ministers which created an impact.
Well-placed sources said the party may accept the resignation that Sidhu tendered a few days ago when he announced on the social media that the state government was going slow on sacrilege and drugs cases which was contrary to the promises it had made before the 2017 elections.
The party has not taken kindly to his public resignation and repeated comments which are casting the state government led by the new CM Channi in unflattering light.
“The resignation given by Sidhu may be accepted. the party is looking at possible candidates. However, it’s an open issue still,” a source said.
If Congress indeed removes Sidhu as Punjab president, it would mark an unexpected culmination of extraordinary turn of events in the state in last few months in which the cricketer-turned politician became the catalyst for tremors that resulted first in his appointment as state chief despite the opposition of then CM Amarinder Singh and a big section of the organisation. It later triggered an overhaul which saw the removal of satrap Amarinder Singh, inauguration of first Dalit chief Minister in the history of the state and a complete rejig of the state cabinet.
While Sidhu’s intermittent outbursts are seen as resulting from his peeve at being overlooked for chief ministership following Singh’s removal recently, the maverick politician, however, claims that “it is based on issues and not posts”.
If Sidhu leaves the top state party post, all eyes would be on his next step given that he has options outside Congress still. On his part, he wrote in his resignation letter that he would continue to work for the party, and later in a tweet reaffirmed his loyalty to Congress by saying that “will uphold principles of Gandhi Ji & Shastri Ji … Post or No Post, will stand by RahulGandhi & Priyanka Gandhi! Let all negative forces try to defeat me, but with every ounce of positive energy will make Punjab win, Punjabiyat (Universal Brotherhood) win & every Punjabi win”.
He has since also lauded Priyanka Gandhi on Twitter for her combative stand on Lakhimpur Kheri violence in UP, and also led a march to Kheri with party MLAs and ministers which created an impact.
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