Punjab CM meets Sonia, says 'will follow Cong president's instructions'

After meeting with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in the national capital, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amrinder Singh told reporters that he discussed internal matters of the party with the interim Congress chief and will follow all instructions given by her.

New Delhi: Amid ongoing bitter infighting in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amrinder Singh on Tuesday met Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi to end factionalism in the party unit. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Singh said that he discussed internal matters of the party and Punjab development programmes with the Congress president.

"I met and discussed all the state issues with Sonia Gandhi. Whatever instructions are given to us by the Congress president will be acceptable to us. We are totally geared up for the upcoming elections," said Capt Singh. On being asked whether party MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu will be given any bigger role, the CM said, "I do not know anything about Sidhu Sahab. I discussed government and political issues with the Congress president."

It is pertinent to mention here that the meeting comes amid a continued attack by former Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on the Chief Minister. Of late, Singh and Sidhu have been at loggerheads over various issues. Singh's meeting with Sonia Gandhi came days after Sidhu had met Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Captain Amarinder Singh had reached the national capital on Tuesday to meet Sonia and it was speculated that the meeting between the two leader would give a final shape to a formula for truce, ending the continuing dissension within Punjab Congress.

Earlier today, Sidhu had launched a scathing attack on Captain in a series of tweets, pressing for the annulment of the Power Puchase Agreements (PPAs).

"Hollow Promises of free Power have no meaning until PPAs are annulled through a new legislation in Punjab Vidhan Sabha. 300 units of free power is merely a fantasy until the faulty clauses in PPAs are keeping Punjab bonded," Sidhu tweeted.