Navjot Singh Sidhu
Ending days of infighting within the party in Punjab, the Congress on Thursday finally reached a compromise formula where attempts are made to bring Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and his in-house critic cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu to work together for Assembly elections 2022.
The party has decided that the Punjab unit will have two working presidents - Vijender Singhla and Santokh Chaudhary. Navjot Singh Sidhu is likely to be appointed as Congress' Punjab unit president. While Captain Amarinder Singh will be the campaign committee chief, PS Bajwa is likely to be the manifesto committee chairman.
Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary in-charge of Punjab, Harish Rawat also announced that Captain Amarinder Singh is going to be the Chief Ministerial candidate in the 2022 elections.
Speaking to the reporters, Rawat said, "Captain Amarinder Singh is our CM for the last four-and-a-half years and we will go to the elections with his leadership."
Both Sidhu and Singh have been at loggerheads with each other and have made public statements against each other, prompting the party to set up a three-member panel headed by Mallikarjun Kharge to end factionalism.
Sources said Sidhu could land up with a bigger role in the party's revamp in Punjab ahead of assembly polls.
The sources add that the Punjab Congress could have two working presidents too, in a bid to accommodate all sections, regions, religions and castes.
The party will announce a major revamp in Punjab in the next few days which may see a new PCC chief.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has met Singh, and Sidhu has met party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The chief minister has told reporters that any decision with regard to the party will be acceptable to all and will be implemented.
Sidhu is also learnt to have told the leadership that any of its decisions will be acceptable. He is keen for a bigger role in the revamped organisation ahead of assembly elections.
ALSO READ: Kamal Nath meets Sonia Gandhi in Delhi, veteran leader likely to get 'big role' in Congress
