Congress will win 2022 Assembly polls under Amarinder's captaincy: Sekhri

Senior Congress Ashwani Sekhri on Saturday said the 2022 Assembly elections in the state will be fought under the leadership of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, irrespective of the changes that may take place within the party.

Chandigarh (Punjab): Despite an evident rift in Punjab Congress and reports of Sidhu's elevation in the party, senior Congress Ashwani Sekhri on Saturday said the 2022 Assembly elections in the state will be fought under the leadership of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, irrespective of the changes that may take place within the party. Not alone this, Sekhri expressed confidence that the party will win with a thumping majority.

However, the opposition took a dig at the Congress on the issue. Aam Admi Party speaker Neil Garg said Sidhu's proposed elevation to the party chief post will not make much difference as the split in the Congress is wide open. Akali Dal speaker Karamveer Singh Guraya said the situation in Punjab Congress has turned so worse that even Capt. Aamrinder Singh will not even vote for his won party. "So far, the Congress has done nothing for the people of the state. They have failed to fulfill even a single promise made in their manifesto," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, former Punjab Congress president Pratap Singh Bajwa met Capt Amarinder as the talk of Sidhu being appointed chief of the party's state unit gathered force. Besides Bajwa, Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana K P Singh and Sports Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi also 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. Earlier in the day, the cricketer-turned-politician held a series of meetings through the day with Punjab Pradesh Congress President Sunil Jakhar as well as several MLAs, including loyalists of the chief minister, fueling further speculation about next steps in the dissension-riven Punjab Congress that has long been caught in the Sidhu-Amarinder feud.

READ:Captain softens terms, agrees to accept 'any decision' by party top brass

Meanwhile, Capt Amarinder has said any decision taken by Congress president Sonia Gandhi will be acceptable to all. His statement came after his meeting with Harish Rawat. The chief minister also said he raised "certain issues" with Rawat during the "fruitful" meeting at his farmhouse in Mohali. "Had a fruitful meeting with @harishrawatcmuk. Reiterated that any decision of @INCIndia Presìdent will be acceptable to all. Raised certain issues which he said he'll take up with @INCIndia president”, @capt_amarinder," according to a tweet by Amarinder Singh's media advisor.

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.

Sidhu has been critical of Amarinder Singh after the Punjab and Haryana High Court in April quashed a probe into the 2015 Kotkapura firing case. Sidhu had questioned the alleged "deliberate delay" in ensuring justice and had accused Amarinder of evading responsibility in the 2015 sacrilege case.