Day after, Cong leaders call for truce

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 15

A day after Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from the state Cabinet, senior party leaders have sought that the feud between Sidhu and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh should be resolved amicably.

The turn of events after Sidhu’s resignation indicate that the Congress top leadership may once again intervene in Punjab affairs to avert further damage to the party. However, sources close to the Chief Minister said reconciliation, if any, would not come easy as Capt Amarinder was unhappy with the indiscipline shown by Sidhu and the “damage” he had done to the party’s prospects during the Lok Sabha elections.

“The power struggle between Capt Amarinder and Sidhu is damaging the party. As Sidhu has already been marginalised, it would be in interest of the party to contain him before he again turns vocal against the Chief Minister at public forums. Within the party or outside, Sidhu being outspoken has the potential to embarrass the party,” said a senior party leader.

“Things have changed since Sidhu’s charisma attracted anti-Amarinder leaders towards him. He has now been cornered and no MLA or party leader would side with him for the fear of inviting the wrath of the Chief Minister,” said a senior MLA from Malwa.

Some MLAs strongly feel that allowing Sidhu to speak as an MLA at public forums could facilitate in creating a pressure group, which was against the interests of the party. There are murmurs in the party over adjusting Sidhu at some senior position at the central level. As the Chief Minister has not accepted the resignation of Sunil Jakhar as PPCC vhief, there was little chance of giving that post to Sidhu. It could work against the cast equations.

Meanwhile, Capt Amarinder appeared to be in a reconciliatory mood, saying that he did not have any issues with his Cabinet colleague. The Chief Minister also said he did not see any harm in the minister keeping Rahul Gandhi in the loop as the Cabinet was decided in consultation with the Congress high command.

Senior party leader Ahmed Patel has been making efforts to negotiate peace between the two warring leaders.