Amid Punjab Congress' infighting, over 50 MLAs including MPs showed up in a show of strength dinner for Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, his media advisor informed.
Taking to Twitter, Raveen Thukral, Media Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said, "Punjab Sport and Youth Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit S Sodhi had invited like-minded @INCPunjab MPs & MLAs for dinner. 58 MLAs & 8 MPs graciously accepted the invitation and expressed the confidence that the party would win the 2022 polls under the leadership of @capt_amarinder. The journey has started today."
The development has come amid the Congress' infighting between Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu and seems to be far from over.
Earlier, in what could be seen as an attempt at the coup in Punjab, 26 MLAs and 4 cabinet ministers of Sidhu camp had opened a front against the Chief Minister. According to reports, the MLAs are preparing to meet party high command Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi.
Reports said at least 26 MLAs and 3 cabinet ministers had gathered at the house of Punjab cabinet minister Tript Rajendra Singh Bajwa to chalk out the strategy.
Meanwhile, AICC general secretary Harish Rawat on Wednesday said the next year’s Punjab Assembly polls will be fought under the leadership of CM Amarinder Singh as four state ministers wanting the "ouster" of the chief minister met the Congress leader in Dehradun.
ALSO READ | Sidhu slams Amarinder govt over sugarcane prices, praises BJP-ruled Haryana, UP
Punjab ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Charanjit Singh Channi besides several Congress MLAs had on Tuesday sought the CM's removal, saying he failed to fulfil some key poll promises.
Rawat's announcement setback for Sidhu camp?
The announcement by Rawat, who is the in-charge of Punjab affairs at the AICC, is being seen as a setback to the dissident leaders.
There is no threat to the Amarinder Singh-led government in Punjab and the party's victory prospects for the upcoming Assembly elections, Rawat told reporters in Dehradun.
Before meeting the Punjab ministers and 3 party MLAs at a hotel in Dehradun, Rawat said, "We will fight the (Punjab) elections in 2022 under the leadership of Amarinder Singh."
After meeting the Congress leaders, Rawat said they told him that they were not against any individual but were concerned about winning prospects of the party in the Assembly polls.
ALSO READ | Harish Rawat talks tough on Punjab political turmoil: 'Have not handed over Congress to Sidhu'
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