Navjot Sidhu silent on continuing as Punjab Congress chief, Harish Rawat claims he will resume work
Sidhu met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and said ‘everything is sorted out’.
Harish Rawat, the All India Congress Committee official in charge of Punjab, on Friday claimed that Navjot Singh Sidhu will continue as the president of the party’s state unit, reported The Hindu. His statement came after Sidhu met with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.
“He [Sidhu] shared his concerns with Rahul Gandhi,” Rawat told reporters. “We have told him that his concerns will be taken care of. He assured Rahul Gandhi that he has withdrawn his resignation and he will resume his duties as the PCC [Punjab Congress Committee] president.”
Sidhu, however, avoided a question on whether he will continue as the Punjab Congress chief.
“Whatever concerns I had, I have shared with Rahul ji and everything is sorted out,” he told reporters.
This was the first meeting between Sidhu and Gandhi after Sidhu resigned as the Punjab Congress chief on September 28, just two months after being appointed to the post. However, the Congress leadership did not accept his resignation.
The Congress political crisis in Punjab comes as the party prepares to fight Assembly polls next year.
Congress leader Amarinder Singh had stepped down as state chief minister on September 18 following differences with Sidhu. Charanjit Singh Channi was appointed chief minister in his place.
Sidhu quit as he was reportedly upset about the changes introduced by Channi in the Punjab Cabinet and appointments made to the state administration.
On Thursday too, Rawat had claimed that Sidhu will continue as the party’s state unit chief. This came after Sidhu met him and Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal in Delhi.
After the meeting, Sidhu said he had complete faith in Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
“Whatever decision is taken will be for the benefit of Congress and Punjab, I will abide by whatever they [the Gandhis] say,” Sidhu added.