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Navjot Singh Sidhu made Punjab Congress chief

Four working presidents have been appointed to assist Sidhu

Navjot Singh Sidhu | PTI Navjot Singh Sidhu | PTI

After prolonged discussions to deal with the intense infighting in the Punjab unit of the party, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, on Sunday, appointed cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu as the chief of the state unit.

Sidhu, who replaces Sunil Jakhar as the PCC chief, will be assisted by four working presidents – Sangat Singh Gilzian, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Pawan Goel and Kuljit Singh Nagra.

The organisational changes are significant, coming as they do barely months ahead of assembly elections in Punjab and in the backdrop of the internal divisions in the state unit spilling out in the open. While Sidhu's stature is enhanced greatly in the run up to the polls, he now emerges as a potential successor to Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

Sidhu's appointment as PCC chief caps two months of tumult in the Punjab Congress that began after the high court's order in the sacrilege case. Sidhu, who had been in hibernation for months, pounced upon the political opportunity provided by the court's decision, which was a big blow to the Amarinder regime, and launched a relentless tirade against the chief minister.

The issues raised by Sidhu found resonance with other MLAs and ministers, even as he minced no words to hold Amarinder accountable for the setback in the sacrilege case and accused him of being in cohoots with the Badals and allowing them to go scot-free in the matter.

The party high command had set up a three-member panel headed by Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and which comprised AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat and senior leader J.P. Aggarwal to resolve the differences in Punjab Congress.

The committee met around 200 leaders from Punjab, including Amarinder and Sidhu. The chief minister and the Amritsar MLA also met with the Gandhis.

Sidhu's appointment as PCC chief was strongly opposed by Amarinder, who insisted on a Hindu leader being appointed to the post. However, the central leadership, apparently desiring to project Sidhu as the gen-next leader of the party in the state after Amarinder, who will soon turn 80, felt it was prudent to place him at the helm of affairs in the organisation. It has also taken into account the positioning that Sidhu has managed to undertake for himself as a leader who has taken up strongly issues close to heart of the people of Punjab.

However, it will be a challenge for the party high command to ensure that Amarinder and Sidhu work as a team in the run up to the elections, since the tussle for power between the two is only expected to intensify here on.

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