Minutes before Congress leadership's much-touted meeting with 'sulking' cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu to end the resignation controversy, Chief Minister of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi suddenly reached the farmhouse of Capt Amarinder Singh along with his newly married son and daughter-in-law.
Punjab Chief Minister arrived at former Chief Minister's farmhouse, in Siswan, Mohali on Thursday, and this unscheduled and unexpected meeting fuels rumours over new political 'realignment' in Punjab Congress.
Chief Minister along with his family reached Siswan Farm House to meet the Captain. This is Charanjit Singh Channi's first meeting with the Captain since he became the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister has brought his son and daughter-in-law to seek the blessing of Capt. Amarinder Singh.
The meeting between the incumbent Chief Minister with his predecessor is significant in the sense that the Congress high command has already summoned Sidhu on Thursday evening to take a final call on this resignation.
Channi was at the forefront of the 'oust' Capt campaign
Once a close-confident of Navjot Singh Sidhu, Channi was at the forefront of the oust Capt campaign launched in Punjab to replace Amarinder Singh as Chief Minister.
Channi, who hails from the Ramdasia Sikh community, was the leader of the opposition in the Punjab assembly from 2015 to 2016. He was one of the younger members of Amarinder Singh's cabinet but has been a critic of the former Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh. As technical education minister, Channi opposed constant interference by the CMO in his work. He opposed private universities coming up in the state, but most of his objections have been ignored.
Ignoring all past differences, the decision of the Channi to reach out 'humiliated' Capt Amarinder Singh is an indication of new political equations in Punjab.
Congress leadership summons Sidhu
The Congress leadership has summoned Navjot Singh Sidhu to Delhi on Thursday for a meeting with Congress general secretaries Harish Rawat and K C Venugopal to discuss organisation matters in Punjab, as the cricketer-turned-politician continues to attack his own party's government.
Sh. Navjot Singh Sidhu, President Punjab Congress will be meeting me and Sh. Venugopal ji for discussion on certain organisational matters pertaining to Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee at Venugopal ji's office on 14th October at 6 PM. @sherryontopp
— Harish Rawat (@harishrawatcmuk) October 12, 2021
Sources said that central leadership has decided to give a clear message to change his style of working otherwise he will be relieved from the post of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president.
Sidhu had resigned as Punjab Congress chief on September 28 over disagreements over Chief Minister Channi's decisions to appoint some officers.
The details of the meeting were made public by Rawat, the Congress in-charge of Punjab, unusually through a tweet on Tuesday evening. Sidhu's resignation has not been accepted till now.
After the resignation as the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), Sidhu will be having his first official meeting with the Congress central leadership.
