Smiling faces in the photograph and a telling caption – maverick leader Navjot Singh Sidhu had much more than a face saver to offer on Twitter this morning as he posted a photo with AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. It was a message to his political rivals, mainly Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
The picture of his meeting with Priyanka was significant because, yesterday, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had told reporters there was no meeting scheduled with Sidhu even as the cricketer-turned-politician had left from his Patiala residence in the morning supposedly to meet the Gandhi siblings. Also, Sidhu mentioned in the caption that it was a 'long meeting'.
According to sources, the meeting at Priyanka's Sujan Singh Park residence lasted more than three hours. It was punctuated by Priyanka popping over to Rahul's house for a brief while. She also visited Congress president Sonia Gandhi's residence after the meeting.
For Sidhu, the meeting with Priyanka is significant since it conveys a message to Amarinder that he is a valued leader despite the chief minister having sidelined him. It comes amid an intense tussle for power between the two, with Amarinder not willing to give Sidhu a high-profile role either in the government or the party, while the latter is keen on being made the state Congress president.
Sidhu is known to have direct access to the Gandhis, and is believed to have their backing. They are keen that he have a role in the party's mainstream politics, and they value his utility as a force multiplier in elections.
The meeting is evidence of the Gandhis' direct intervention to bring peace to the troubled Punjab Congress. Among the options before the party on Sidhu's rehabilitation, is appointing him deputy chief minister. But neither he nor Amarinder are said to be agreeable to this option. Another proposal is to appoint him chief of the party's campaign committee for the upcoming assembly elections.
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However, what is proving to be a major obstacle for the central leadership is the feedback it has received from state leaders that it is impossible for Amarinder and Sidhu to work together.
How Amarinder views the Sidhu-Priyanka meeting is also significant, since it gives the impression that the Gandhis are taking sides in the fight between the two Sardars from Patiala. The apparent sympathising with Sidhu's cause could infuriate and alienate the chief minister who has to lead the party into the assembly elections.
The Congress president is expected to announce changes in Punjab Congress by July 10, based on a report on the situation in the state unit submitted by a three-member panel headed by Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, and comprising AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat and senior leader J.P. Aggarwal.
It remains to be seen whether the aspirations of Sidhu will be met, though Rawat has said, quoting Sidhu, that he will abide by the decision of the party high command.
