Navjot Singh Sidhu appointed Punjab Congress chief

Gandhi also appointed four working presidents to assist Sidhu in the run-up to the next assembly elections

Ending week-long intense speculation, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday named Navjot Singh Sidhu as the state president of Punjab Congress, ignoring the pulls and pressures from the camp of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

The party's central leadership also appointed four Working Presidents Sangat Singh Gilzian, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Pawan Goel and Kuljit Singh Nagra, in a bid to placate different communities in the state.

Appointing Sidhu as Punjab PCC Chief "with immediate effect", the party put on record its appreciation for the contributions of the outgoing PCC chief Sunil Jakhar. Nagra was made Working President after being relieved from his present responsibility as AICC in-charge of Sikkim, Nagaland and Tripura.

The much-anticipated decision to appoint Sidhu as Punjab Congress chief came on a day of hectic meetings from both camps led by Captain and Sidhu in Chandigarh and Delhi.

While nine of 11 MPs of Punjab Congress met at the residence of former Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa and sought an appointment with Sonia Gandhi to explain to her the reasons why Sidhu should not be appointed PCC chief, 10 MLAs close to the Chief Minister in Chandigarh issued a joint statement urging the party high command not to let down the Chief Minister and flagged that Sidhu condemning and criticising his own party and government in public has only created a rift in the cadres and weakened it.

Outgoing state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar's plan to hold a meeting of party legislators and district unit presidents on Monday to pass a resolution stating that whatever decision the party high command takes regarding Punjab, would be acceptable to the entire state unit, also could not materialise.

Apparently realising that it was running late for starting a campaign in the poll-bound state and that delaying a decision further could only lead to more power plays, the central leadership acted swiftly to announce the decision. PCC chief was a promise made to Sidhu by Rahul Gandhi in the past but owing to stiff opposition from the CM's camp, the central leadership delayed an announcement, trying to build consensus.

A three-member team of the AICC headed by senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge had submitted a report to Sonia Gandhi on the Punjab infighting and possible options after holding discussions for days with both leaders and their supporters. AICC general secretary for Punjab Harish Rawat had also separately met both leaders to work out a compromise formula.

He had rushed to Punjab even on Saturday to pacify the Chief Minister, who was angry over his remarks that suggested Sidhu could be made PCC chief. However, a consensus could not be made or at least that is what came from different meetings of the rival camps.

By appointing Sidhu, the party high command has also asserted its authority, which appeared weakening after two consecutive losses to the Congress in last two general elections and recently there have been incidents when the names for PCC chiefs finalised by the AICC, were booted down by state leaders.

Sidhu managed to clinch the PCC chief post even as the Chief Minister got his previous detractor Bajwa on board to neutralise the former. Both Bajwa and Sidhu are Jat Sikhs like the Chief Minister.

While the CM's Media Advisor tweeted, "Punjab Speaker Rana K P Singh, Rajya Sabha MP and former Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa and cabinet minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi called on Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh at his residence", Congress leader Manish Tewari said, "Partap, who I have known since 1983, and Captain Sahib would make a good team for the times ahead".

He also hailed Bajwa as an "old dyed in the wool Congressman". The barb was not lost as Sidhu had joined Congress only in 2017 after a three-year stint in BJP since 2014. The current speculation was Sidhu could go to AAP if not given a major role in the party.

The Chief Minister is learnt to have insisted on Sidhu tendering any apology for attacks made against him in the past before the party high command names him as state unit chief. However, nothing of this sort happened.