Punjab Congress MPs to meet at Partap Singh Bajwa’s Delhi residence today
Punjab MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are set to meet at former Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa's Delhi residence on Sunday. According to the details, the meeting is said to take place at 1:30 pm today. Sources said the MPs may urge the Congress leadership not to appoint Navjot Singh Sidhu as the state Congress chief. Following the meet, the MPs are likely to demand a meeting with Sonia Gandhi as well.
Commenting on today's plan, Bajwa today said, "We have invited all (Congress) MPs from Punjab for a meeting to devise a strategy on farmers' issue & to discuss some issues related to the Congress party."
As per the new formula chalked out by Congress high command Sonia Gandhi to bring Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu onboard, the new state chief will get two working presidents and two deputy CMs. Rajkumar Chabbewal, who is a Dalit leader, and Raja Bading who is a youth leader will be the working presidents. And in the race of deputy CMs, names of Brahm Mohindra, who is a Hindu and is said to be close to Amarinder, and Charanjit Singh Channi, who is a Dalit face and is from Sidhu's camp is doing the rounds.
If sources are to be believed, Captain has agreed to Sidhu's elevation but with conditions apply. The CM has said to have agreed to the arrangements after meeting AICC general secretary and Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat.
Bajwa meets CM Amarinder Singh
Meanwhile, Partap Singh Bajwa met Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday as the talk of Navjot Singh Sidhu being appointed chief of the party's state unit gathered force. Bajwa, a strident critic of the chief minister, called on Amarinder Singh at his residence on a day when Sidhu held a series of meetings with Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar and several MLAs, including the CM's loyalists.
Besides Rajya Sabha member Bajwa, Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana K P Singh and Sports Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi also met the chief minister.
"Punjab Speaker Rana KP Singh, Rajya Sabha MP and former Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa and cabinet minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi call on Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh at his residence," tweeted the CM's media advisor while sharing a photograph of these leaders sitting together.
Congress MP Manish Tewari retweeted the photo and said it was good to see Bajwa and Amarinder together and noted that the Rajya Sabha MP and the chief minister would make a good team ahead.
"Good to see Partap Singh Bajwa and Captain Amarinder Singh together along with our Hon'ble Speaker Rana K P Singh and Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi."
"Partap, who I know since 1983, and Captain Sahib would make a good team for the times ahead. He is an old dyed in the wool Congressman," said Tewari.
Bajwa had earlier targeted the chief minister over the issue of the pre-poll promise of taking action against the perpetrators of the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and subsequent police firing incidents in 2015.
He had also come out in support of MLA Pargat Singh who had accused the chief minister's political advisor of threatening him.
Earlier in the day, Amarinder Singh met AICC general secretary and Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat, who flew down to Chandigarh in what was seen as an effort to placate the chief minister.
(With inputs from PTI)
