Rumours of key role for Sidhu after meeting with Rahul

Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu met former party President Rahul Gandhi at his residence in Delhi. Speculations are rife that a top post will be assigned to Sidhu.

New Delhi: Disgruntled Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is at loggerheads with Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amrinder Singh, finally met former party President Rahul Gandhi at his residence for almost an hour in Delhi.

After the meeting, neither Sidhu nor the Congress party commented on it. This meeting comes after Sidhu met Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday.

According to sources, the revamping of Punjab Congress and changes to be made in the state government ranks ahead of the Assembly polls in 2022 were discussed by the two leaders. Reportedly, Sidhu has been offered a ministerial berth in Punjab Government and the post of party's campaign committee chief. Sidhu had earlier expressed his unhappiness in working with Chief Minister Singh.

Sidhu wanted to have an audience with Rahul Gandhi to press upon his demands regarding his appointment as Punjab Congress Chief, sources informed. However, it has been continuously resented by the chief minister.

It should also be noted that Chief Minister Singh's visit to Delhi did not end up in any meeting with the three Gandhis. As per sources, Congress is planning to resolve the feud by the end of this week. Speculations are rife that a top post will be assigned to Sidhu. Congress President Sonia Gandhi also met Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday afternoon.

Sidhu had resigned from the Punjab Cabinet after he was divested of the local bodies portfolio in 2019. He had launched a scathing attack against the Chief Minister over the alleged delay in the delivery of justice in the incidents of sacrilege and subsequent police firing in 2015. The chief minister had slammed Sidhu by terming his attacks as "total indiscipline".

Talks have been going on within the party to resolve the feud. Singh met a panel headed by the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on June 22. All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat and former MP J P Aggarwal were members of the panel.