A three-member AICC committee constituted to decide on the factionalism in Punjab Congress, has submitted its report to party president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday. The panel said that a majority of MLAs are in support of CM Amarinder Singh and there is ‘no need for a change of guard in the state’.
According to sources, the removal of Captain Amarinder Singh has not been recommended by the panel and he will probably lead the party in the next elections. Rather, the panel has suggested a slew of changes in the party-state unit.
Navjot Singh Sidhu’s fate is still unclear but sources suggest that the panel wants him to be rehabilitated back in the Punjab cabinet. Though Amrinder Singh is inimical to promote Sidhu to the post of Deputy CM but is willing to furnish him a place in his cabinet, sources said.
The committee was chaired by senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and including AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat and former MP JP Aggarwal have put forward accommodating all sections, castes and regions in the revamped party unit.
The panel was constituted by Sonia Gandhi last month after a rift between the Navjot Singh Sidhu and the Amarinder Singh factions increased.
The committee said that there is no groupism in the party and also advised to more provide representation to Dalit leaders. It further suggested making a Dalit leader the Deputy CM.
The panel also noted that a few MLAs are "unhappy" but are not against Amarinder Singh.
No significant modifications have been recommended at the top level, however, sources said that the panel has asserted that Navjot Singh Sidhu should be "suitably accommodated" in the revamp.
Last week, the panel met Congress MLAs, Sidhu and Amarinder.
Earlier, the committee had held discussions with several leaders from the state ahead of next year's assembly elections in the state.
“The meeting was to discuss the preparations for the Assembly elections scheduled early next year. These are our inner-party discussions and I don’t propose to share them with you,” Mr Singh said after the meeting.
Rift in Punjab Congress surfaced after former state cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and Pargat Singh started a revolt against the Chief Minister.
Soon the All India Congress Committee (AICC) had to create a panel to attend to the grievances of its Punjab leaders after Sidhu led group demanded a change in the state leadership.
Congress prefers to have appeasement with Sidhu and retain him in the party by making some minor alterations in the party without going for a major reshuffle, the source said.
Sidhu has been in disagreements with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and has publicly attacked him over the SIT report on the sacrilege issue in the state. He in 2019 had quit the Amarinder Singh cabinet after his local body's portfolio was stripped.
Punjab state will go to the assembly polls early next year.