According to sources in the Congress, Sidhu is annoyed that he wasn’t appointed chief minister after Amarinder Singh resigned. According to reports, he did not meet with the Gandhis before resigning.
In a shocking development for the Congress Party, Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from his position as Punjab Congress chief on Tuesday – 28th September, 2021.
As part of his resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi, Sidhu said he will continue working for the Congress.
“The collapse of a man’s character stems from the compromise corner, I can never compromise on Punjab’s future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab. Therefore, I hereby resign as the President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee,” Sidhu said in his letter sent to Gandhi.
He, however, did not explain about the “compromise” part mentioned in the letter.
Sindhu’s term had a short duration – he was appointed as Punjab Congress chief on July 23 after months of feuding with Amarinder Singh, who resigned as the state’s chief minister earlier this month.
According to Congressmen familiar with the matter, Sidhu is disappointed that Singh was named chief minister. His decision to quit the post was made without meeting the Gandhis.
He was also opposed to the inclusion of the “tainted” former minister Rana Gurjit Singh in the Punjab Cabinet now led by Charanjit Singh Channi. In a letter to Sidhu on Sunday, six MLAs from Doaba requested that Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit Singh be dropped from the list of ministers because of his alleged involvement in corruption.
They also demanded that a Dalit leader be appointed to fill the vacancy in the cabinet. This letter also was sent to Channi, but it was ignored and Rana Gurjit took oath as a minister.
In 2019, Singh and Sidhu began their feud, which intensified this year. It was the Congress high command that appointed Sidhu as party chief of the state to end internal fighting leading up to the assembly polls next year, but today’s resignation proves that political turmoil in the state is far from over.
Interestingly, Sidhu’s resignation coincides with the visit of former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh to Delhi. It is rumored that he will meet home minister Amit Shah, although neither side has confirmed it.
Nevertheless, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader on condition of anonymity said that “the meeting will take place”, adding that “there has been movement on that front”.
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