Sidhu calls on Rahul, Priyanka

Navjot Singh Sidhu was divested of his portfolio of Urban Development and Planning and allocated Power Resources in the latest rejig of Punjab Cabinet.

Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday morning met party president Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to brief them about his position.

Back from his three-day trip to Wayanad, this is the first time Mr. Gandhi is meeting a party leader at his house after the May 25 meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), where he announced his decision to step down.

On May 29, The Hindu reported that Mr. Gandhi would meet party leaders only after his thanksgiving trip to Kerala.

Mr. Gandhi immediately needs to intervene as different State units are witnessing factionalism being played out in the open. From Rajasthan to Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan to Haryana, Jharkhand to Maharashtra, the party units are in turmoil.

While Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel are in town, Mr. Sidhu, who is believed to be close to the Gandhi family, was the first to meet the party chief.

“Met the congress President, handed him my letter, appraised him of the situation !” Mr. Sidhu tweeted with a photo of Mr. Gandhi, Ms. Vadra and senior leader Ahmed Patel.

War of words

Punjab Chief Minister Capt. (retd.) Amarinder Singh had divested Mr. Sidhu of his portfolio of Urban Development and Planning and allocated Power Resources. The action followed a war of words between Mr Sidhu; his wife, Navjot Kaur; and Capt. Amarinder.

Ms. Kaur had accused Capt. Amarinder of blocking her Lok Sabha ticket from Chandigarh right in the middle of the election campaign.

As soon as the May 19 voting in Punjab got over, the Chief Minister hit back and accused Mr. Sidhu of damaging the party’s prospects.

And finally, despite launching ‘Mission 13’, when the Congress managed to win only 8 of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the State, the Chief Minister blamed the cricketer-turned-politician for the below expected performance of the party.

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