New Delhi: At a time when the Congress party is struggling to resolve the fierce infighting within its Punjab unit, and that too ahead of the Assembly elections in 2022, poll strategist Prashant Kishor held a meeting with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at 12 Tugalaq Lane, in New Delhi. Apart from Gandhi's, Congress General Secretary in-charge KC Venugopal and Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat were also present during the meeting.
The meeting has stirred the political corridor as it came in the backdrop of the ongoing turmoil within the Punjab Congress. Earlier, Kishor also held discussions with Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh during his Delhi visit. However, Rawat claimed that no discussions were being held relating to Punjab during the meeting with Prashant Kishor.
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"Prashant Kishor was there. But he has a different role. Rahul Gandhi is a national leader. A lot of people meet him and convey their views. He takes input from different people. Prashant Kishor did not meet him to negotiate something regarding Punjab," Harish Rawat said.
In addition to this, he also informed that the final announcement regarding changes in Punjab Congress will be announced in the next 3-4 days. "Though it got delayed, you will get good news in the next three to four days for both Sidhu and Capt Amarinder Singh," he stated.
Notably, Prashant Kishor is the principal advisor of Capt Amarinder Singh. Amid the ongoing feud within Punjab Congress, it has also been speculated that Prashant Kishor might have met Rahul Gandhi on behalf of Captain Amarinder Singh and to express his viewpoint regarding the organizational changes.
Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is at loggerheads with Captain Amrinder Singh, has continuously been making public statements against the Chief Minister and his government's policies, specifically over the Sacrilege matter and power supply issue in the state.
On Tuesday as well, Sidhu posted a controversial tweet in which he said that the opposition Aam Admi Party has always recognized his vision for Punjab, leaving people guessing if he is planning to join that party. This comes after Punjab AAP chief Bhagwant Mann took a dig at Sidhu asking him to tweet about the funds allegedly accepted by the Congress party from three private power companies in Punjab.
Read:| Navjot Sidhu launches fresh attacks on Badals on Twitter
Replying to this, Sidhu tweeted a video of AAP leaders praising him for raising issues like drug mafia, power issue, corruption, saying, "Our opposition AAP has always recognised my vision and work for Punjab. Be it before 2017- beadbi, drugs, farmers issues, corruption and power crisis faced by people of Punjab raised by me or today as I present 'Punjab model', it is clear, they know- who is fighting for Punjab."
When asked about his comments, Harish Rawat replied, "There are few issues which he had raised like the Sacrilege matter, for which his views are in line with the party and Capt Amarinder Singh. The same is with the drug issue in the state. All I can say is that Sidhu has his style of saying things. But I am not capable of modifying his style of saying."
According to the sources, Sidhu is likely to be offered the post of a member of Congress Election Committee and the head of Campaign Committee for Punjab. Meanwhile, the announcement for a new Punjab Congress Chief will also be made soon. Congress has started gearing up to go into the polls under the leadership of Captain Amarinder Singh. It has been said that Prashant Kishor has started working on the ground by conducting surveys ahead of the Assembly elections.
Read:| 'AAP always recognised my vision,' Sidhu counters opposition's jibe
