Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met his party’s Punjab unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday, every day after the latter signalled an obvious climbdown from his exit notice. Mr Sidhu had met party general secretaries KC Venugopal and Harish Rawat in Delhi yesterday and said he would follow any decision taken by the Gandhis.
“I have placed my concerns to party leaders, i’ve got full trust that whatever party president, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra decide, it’ll be for Punjab. I consider them supreme and follow their orders,” the cricketer-turned politician said after the meeting on Thursday.
A party leader, requesting to not be named, had said, “A formal decision is anticipated tomorrow. Sidhu has retracted from his belligerent position of resigning as PCC (Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee) chief.”
Earlier, Harish Rawat was quoted as saying by press association ANI: “Navjot Singh Sidhu and Charanjit Channi have spoken on some issues, an answer will emerge…there are some things that take time.”
The meeting came after an uncomfortable truce between Mr Sidhu and also the Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
Mr Rawat, who is that the party’s Punjab in-charge, had earlier said the discussion are on “organisational matters” of the state Congress.
Navjot Sidhu had last month posted his resignation on Twitter, making his displeasure apparent at the appointments and cabinet reshuffle under the new Chief Minister. The very next day he was back on board after an agreement was reached with the Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi.
His absence at the marriage ceremony of the Chief Minister’s son, however, spotlighted the strain under the surface.
The 57-year-old during a cryptic tweet on October 2 had said, “Will uphold principles of Gandhi Ji & Shastri Ji… Post or No Post will stand by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi”.
Navjot Sidhu was made the Punjab Congress chief in July despite strong opposition from the then Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
