Navjot Singh Sidhu’s posters have begun to appear on the outskirts of the city just one day after he was named president of the Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee (PPCC). Following Sidhu’s elevation, a similar hoarding was erected near Ram Nagar Chowki.
Sidhu’s posters were torn recently by Jasraj Grewal, a Dugri resident, prompting speculation that local Congress leaders were unhappy with Sidhu taking over the role ahead of the 2022 assembly elections. Meanwhile, after Sidhu’s appointment as PPCC chief, the district Congress unit held traditional celebrations, but legislators were conspicuously absent.
It was an informal event, according to Ashwani Sharma, president of the District Congress Committee (urban). “We’ve been in touch with the newly appointed PPCC chief, and we’re planning a big welcome for him when he arrives in town. During the event, all of the MLAs will be present,” Sharma said.
Opposition parties are baffled by Sidhu’s elevation. In the run-up to the elections, the party’s structure has been strengthened by the appointment of four working presidents.
When contacted for comments on the developments, Congress MLA Rakesh Pandey said the party has a democratic setup. “The decision high command is acceptable to all. The rest depends on a person’s work and results,” he said.
Recently, Sidhu had courted a controversy when he questioned his own government’s decision of offering a government job, as Naib Tehsildar, to Pandey’s son Bhisham on compassionate grounds.
Pandey had strongly reacted to this. “I still maintain that the job was well deserved. It was a goodwill gesture by chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh to honour the sacrifice my father had made for restoring peace in the state,” said Pandey.
In 1987, terrorists assassinated Joginder Pal Pandey (Rakesh Pandey’s father), a powerful MLA and Congress leader.
Bharat Bhushan, Ashu, and Sanjay Talwar, cabinet ministers, remained silent.
Kuldeep Vaid, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, and Lakhvir Singh Lakha were in Chandigarh to congratulate the PPCC’s new chief.
On Sunday, Sidhu paid a visit to Gurkirat Singh Kotli’s home before taking over as PPCC chief. Ravneet Singh Bittu, a Congress MP from Ludhiana, is Kotli’s cousin.
Bittu has been a vocal opponent of Sidhu and has sided with the Amarinder camp.
Sidhu was introduced to the party workers by both Kotli and Lakha. Following that, both MLAs convened a meeting with district planning board chairman MLA Malkit Singh Dakha.
Lakha and Kotli sang paeans to Sidhu after an hour-long meeting, describing him as a charismatic leader.
