Amid the deepening crisis in Punjab Congress, Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday met Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to discuss the issue of his resignation from the post of Congress Punjab chief. The outcome of this crucial meeting indicates that Sidhu is likely to remain the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) till assembly elections in February 2022.
Sidhu reached Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh at 3.30 pm from his Patiala residence to meet Channi. After the one and half hour meeting in presence of deputy chief ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Sidhu and Channi both left the venue without any briefing to the media.
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Sidhu’s meeting came a day after Channi reached out to him and offered to resolve issues through talks. The Punjab unit of the Congress is in turmoil after Amarinder Singh was removed as the chief minister and its chief Sidhu resigned from his post ahead of the Assembly elections in the state early next year.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Channi had said, “I have spoken to Sidhu sahab over the telephone today. I told him that the party is supreme and that the government accepts the party’s ideology and follows that". Addressing Sidhu, the new CM said, "You come, sit and talk. If you feel there is anything wrong, you can point it out.”
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When asked what Sidhu’s response was, Channi had said the leader told him that he would sit and talk, and would give him time for a meeting.
The meeting came on the day when former Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh told media that he did not wish to stay on in Congress, adding further to the Congress' woes in the state. The statement came a day after Singh met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. However, Singh quashed speculations of a possible switch by stating he was not joining the Bharatiya Janata Party.
