Work as team, Rahul Gandhi tells Punjab congress top brass

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 1

Amid palpable differences between state Congress leaders, Punjab top brass today met party leader Rahul Gandhi to work out consensus in the PCC reorganisation, expected to be announced soon.

CM Charanjit Singh Channi and PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu met Rahul in the presence of Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Chaudhary. Sidhu and former PCC chief Sunil Jakhar also separately met Rahul. Sidhu is learnt to have discussed his ‘Punjab Model’ with him.

Rahul is learnt to have stressed upon CM Channi, Sidhu and Jakhar to work as a team. The meeting is being seen in light of the PCC chief and CM Channi not being seen on the same page, with the former questioning his own government on different issues. Sidhu reportedly protested meeting of block presidents called by Chaudhary and Channi, without him being kept in the loop.

The party high command is learnt to have agreed to Sidhu’s move to appoint two acting presidents with each district president, while tweaking the list of the PCC’s office-bearers in consultation with ministers and MLAs. The party leadership is also analysing reports of the BJP trying to woo certain party MLAs and MPs ahead of the polls.

Jakhar offered poll panel responsibility

• Sunil Jakhar has again been offered the responsibility of campaign committee. He is learnt to have told the party leadership that he would assume any role assigned to him
• In order to silence his critics within the party and outside, CM Charanjit Singh Channi will on Thursday present his government's report card to AICC