Did Sidhu Score Own Goal With Resignation? Hunt On for Substitute as Top Brass Looks to Cut Leader to Size

Navjot Singh Sidhu, who got his way with the resignation of the Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, may not be as lucky this time around.

The maverick Congress leader, who shocked the top brass by tendering his resignation on Monday, may be in for a rude shock as miffed Gandhis have begun discussing new names for Punjab unit chief.

Cutting Sidhu to size, it has been decided that the state leadership, under the guidance of new chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, will resolve the crisis and there will be no central intervention.

Sidhu?s strongly worded resignation has put him in a tight spot. If he decides to withdraw his resignation now, it would be seen as an embarrassment and a compromise since nothing has changed on ground.

What makes matters worse for Sidhu is that several party leaders are not in favour of pacifying him. Congress leader Ravneet Bittu has questioned Sidhu?s timing to disrupt Congress?s high after cabinet formation. Without naming Sidhu, Bittu alleges he has a hidden agenda that could include an RSS angle.

Sidhu quit on Monday amid reports of a rift with Channi over his cabinet. Trouble started brewing on Sunday as a few hours before the new ministers were to take oath, some MLAs wrote to Sidhu, saying the “tainted” Rana Gurjeet Singh should not be made minister since he faced accusations of corruption in sand mining. Gurjeet Singh, in fact, was removed from the cabinet by then chief minister Amarinder Singh over the corruption allegations.

Sidhu, however, failed to stop Gurjeet Singh’s elevation as minister again. He is also believed to be upset with some other ministerial appointments made by Channi, like that of Aruna Chaudhary who is the CM’s relative and faces anti-incumbency in her constituency Dinanagar. Sidhu had instead been pitching for a berth to Punjab Congress Committee Scheduled Caste (SC) department head Raj Kunar Chhabewal.

Sidhu’s resignation has now triggered speculation about his next course of action. There are several questions unanswered: Will he join AAP? Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, who will be on a 2-day visit to Punjab from Wednesday, is yet to announce the CM face in the state, which is due for polls in 2022. Is Congress the ultimate loser in these internal party fights? Mostly importantly, Sidhu’s resignation has now put a big question mark on the continuation of the new Punjab cabinet. Will the state see yet another expansion?

For Sidhu, considered close to the Gandhis, the conundrum has presented the perfect catch-22 situation.

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