<p>Amid rampant factionalism in the Punjab unit of the Congress, chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said he would abide by any decision taken by party president Sonia Gandhi.</p>.<p>Singh had a 90-minute meeting with Gandhi after two rounds of discussions last month with a three-member panel led by Mallikarjun Kharge which had outlined a plan of action to the chief minister who was facing flak from his party colleagues.</p>.<p>“I do not know anything about Sidhu sahib, I only discussed our government’s work. Political issues were also discussed,” Singh told reporters to questions about the role his bete-noire Navjot Singh Sidhu would play in the revamped organisation.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/punjab-haryana-witness-alarming-dip-in-groundwater-level-study-1005510.html">Punjab, Haryana witness alarming dip in groundwater level: Study</a></strong></p>.<p>The Punjab Congress is witnessing dissent in its ranks over the chief minister’s style of functioning, the state government’s approach to the incidents of sacrilege dating back to 2015 and action against drug and transport mafia in the state.</p>.<p>Sidhu, the crickter-turned-politician, has been criticising the chief minister openly on issues such as sacrilege, electricity shortages, farmers’ issues among others, bringing to the fore the differences within the state unit ahead of the elections early next year.</p>.<p>The Kharge panel, after interacting with a cross section of leaders from the state had recommended that Sidhu, a popular campaigner, be suitably accommodated within the party or the government.</p>.<p>However, Singh was not keen on having Sidhu as the president of the Punjab Congress but was learnt to be open to accommodating him in the state cabinet.</p>.<p>“Whatever decision the Congress president takes, we will implement it in Punjab. The decisions taken by Congress chief on anything – the party and the government – will be accepted,” the chief minister said.</p>.<p>Singh, who was in the national capital twice last month, could not meet Gandhi but had return to Punjab after presenting his case to the Kharge panel.</p>.<p>Sidhu, on the other hand, had a long meeting with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi last week.</p>.<p>Rahul also had separate meetings with several leaders from the state to ascertain their views about the situation in the state.</p>
<p>Amid rampant factionalism in the Punjab unit of the Congress, chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said he would abide by any decision taken by party president Sonia Gandhi.</p>.<p>Singh had a 90-minute meeting with Gandhi after two rounds of discussions last month with a three-member panel led by Mallikarjun Kharge which had outlined a plan of action to the chief minister who was facing flak from his party colleagues.</p>.<p>“I do not know anything about Sidhu sahib, I only discussed our government’s work. Political issues were also discussed,” Singh told reporters to questions about the role his bete-noire Navjot Singh Sidhu would play in the revamped organisation.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/punjab-haryana-witness-alarming-dip-in-groundwater-level-study-1005510.html">Punjab, Haryana witness alarming dip in groundwater level: Study</a></strong></p>.<p>The Punjab Congress is witnessing dissent in its ranks over the chief minister’s style of functioning, the state government’s approach to the incidents of sacrilege dating back to 2015 and action against drug and transport mafia in the state.</p>.<p>Sidhu, the crickter-turned-politician, has been criticising the chief minister openly on issues such as sacrilege, electricity shortages, farmers’ issues among others, bringing to the fore the differences within the state unit ahead of the elections early next year.</p>.<p>The Kharge panel, after interacting with a cross section of leaders from the state had recommended that Sidhu, a popular campaigner, be suitably accommodated within the party or the government.</p>.<p>However, Singh was not keen on having Sidhu as the president of the Punjab Congress but was learnt to be open to accommodating him in the state cabinet.</p>.<p>“Whatever decision the Congress president takes, we will implement it in Punjab. The decisions taken by Congress chief on anything – the party and the government – will be accepted,” the chief minister said.</p>.<p>Singh, who was in the national capital twice last month, could not meet Gandhi but had return to Punjab after presenting his case to the Kharge panel.</p>.<p>Sidhu, on the other hand, had a long meeting with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi last week.</p>.<p>Rahul also had separate meetings with several leaders from the state to ascertain their views about the situation in the state.</p>
