Team News Riveting
Chandigarh, July 17
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh told his supporters: “I am a fauji (soldier) and I never leave the battlefield.”
The statement delivered on Saturday night to the Congress leaders from Chief Minister’s camp who huddled at his residence was an overt signal, Singh was in no mood to ‘give up the fight’ with Navjot Singh Sidhu. The speculation is rife that Sidhu is being projected to take over as the party’s state chief.
The former cricketer spent the entire first half of Saturday cosying up to senior leaders from the state who are also known to be opponents of the Chief Minister. Meanwhile, AICC general secretary and Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat attempted to placate a fuming Captain who had on Friday warned of a split in the party if Sidhu was promoted.
According to Congress insiders, the party high command had asked Sidhu that he would have to take everyone along and this could also mean that he would need to reach out to Amarinder Singh. However, the Chief Minister had made it clear that he would not meet Sidhu till the former cricketer and his bête noire apologised for his derogatory tweets and interviews.
He reportedly added, “the series of leaks and public statements which attacked me had done irreparable damage to the Congress party in Punjab and it was most unfortunate; the way Delhi was handling the state.”
Just a few days back, the Punjab CM had issued a statement that there was no question of him retiring. In fact, his hard stand has also forced the Congress party to clarify that the upcoming elections will be fought under his leadership.
The Congress has made it very clear that there was no question of Captain Amarinder Singh being replaced or asked to step down. Even as other political parties gear up for the 2022 battle, the Congress is stuck in a battle of its own; that the Chief Minister cannot get along with Navjot Singh Sidhu, amid the former cricketer’s very clear ambition to eventually replace Singh.
