The Punjab MLAs will meet with a three-member Congress committee appointed by interim president Sonia Gandhi to address factionalism in the state ahead of the Assembly elections. The panel, chaired by Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, would investigate into an internal quarrel after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s political conflict with Navjot Singh Sidhu harmed the party’s election prospects. Punjab will hold elections in the first half of next year.
The panel met for the first time on Saturday and agreed to begin meeting with Punjabi leaders on Monday. Other members include Harish Rawat, the Congress national secretary in charge of Punjab affairs, and J P Aggarwal, a former MP and prominent party official.
Sonia Gandhi, the Congress president, formed the committee to settle issues amongst Punjab’s leaders during a public spat between Amarinder and Sidhu.
Sunil Jakhar, the chairman of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), as well as MLAs and MPs, will be present at today’s meeting. Later, the panel will meet Amarinder and Sidhu. After hearing from all of the leaders, the committee will submit its report to Sonia.
Since resigning from the state cabinet, Sidhu has been aloof from Punjab politics. Sidhu was the local government minister and also oversaw the tourism ministry. He resigned in July 2019.
According to sources, Sidhu is coveting the position of Punjab Congress head, but Amarinder Singh is adamant about not handing over the reins of the party to him, a position he has held since 2015.
