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NEW DELHI: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Friday met AICC general secretary and state in charge Harish Rawat, who flew down to Chandigarh amid speculation over Navjot Singh Sidhu’s possible elevation as the Punjab Congress chief.
The chief minister said he raised “certain issues” with Rawat during the “fruitful” meeting at his farmhouse in Mohali.
Amarinder Singh is learnt to have told Rawat that he will not meet Sidhu till he publicly regrets or apologises for his tweets against him, sources told PTI.
The chief minister is learnt to have told Rawat that the manner in which the issue was handled was not acceptable and he still has reservations over Sidhu’s appointment but would accept any decision that the leadership takes, the sources said.
The Punjab CM had earlier affirmed that he would accept any decision taken by interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu met Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunil Jakhar and several MLAs on Saturday. After meeting Jakhar, Sidhu met other party leaders, including some ministers, in Chandigarh.
On Friday, Sidhu met party chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi in an apparent bid to arrive at a truce formula over the state unit revamp.
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh is also learnt to have written a letter Sonia Gandhi and expressed his reservations over Sidhu’s appointment as Punjab Congress chief.
Expressing his annoyance, Captain is believed to have written that many Congress leaders may resign and the move to appoint Sidhu as the PPCC chief could even lead to a split in the party.
Amarinder also referred to the wrong message that Sidhu’s appointment would send out by having two Jat Sikhs at the helm (on the CM and PPCC chief posts).
Sonia Gandhi now faces an uphill task of balancing the two forces that are already pulling in different directions. The elaborate exercise through a three-member AICC panel to take feedback from Punjab Congress leaders has failed to make them put up a united face.
The rival leaders have often aired their differences in public and made statements against each other.
(With PTI inputs)
The chief minister said he raised “certain issues” with Rawat during the “fruitful” meeting at his farmhouse in Mohali.
Amarinder Singh is learnt to have told Rawat that he will not meet Sidhu till he publicly regrets or apologises for his tweets against him, sources told PTI.
The chief minister is learnt to have told Rawat that the manner in which the issue was handled was not acceptable and he still has reservations over Sidhu’s appointment but would accept any decision that the leadership takes, the sources said.
The Punjab CM had earlier affirmed that he would accept any decision taken by interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu met Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunil Jakhar and several MLAs on Saturday. After meeting Jakhar, Sidhu met other party leaders, including some ministers, in Chandigarh.
On Friday, Sidhu met party chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi in an apparent bid to arrive at a truce formula over the state unit revamp.
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh is also learnt to have written a letter Sonia Gandhi and expressed his reservations over Sidhu’s appointment as Punjab Congress chief.
Expressing his annoyance, Captain is believed to have written that many Congress leaders may resign and the move to appoint Sidhu as the PPCC chief could even lead to a split in the party.
Amarinder also referred to the wrong message that Sidhu’s appointment would send out by having two Jat Sikhs at the helm (on the CM and PPCC chief posts).
Sonia Gandhi now faces an uphill task of balancing the two forces that are already pulling in different directions. The elaborate exercise through a three-member AICC panel to take feedback from Punjab Congress leaders has failed to make them put up a united face.
The rival leaders have often aired their differences in public and made statements against each other.
(With PTI inputs)
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