Amarinder, Bajwa bury the hatchet, meet over dinner
The meeting, which came amid talk of Sidhu’s elevation to the post of the state unit president, is being seen as the beginning of the realignment of forces in the state Congress
CHANDIGARH : The rift in the Punjab Congress has sparked off a realignment of forces with chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and senior leader Partap Singh Bajwa burying their differences and coming together ahead of the state polls early next year.
Capt and Bajwa broke bread over dinner at the former’s farmhouse in Mohali’s Siswan on Saturday. Punjab assembly speaker Rana KP Singh and cabinet minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi also joined them. Bajwa said he and Capt have forgotten their past differences and come together to strengthen the Congress as the chief minister is working to make good on the 18-point agenda before the state elections.
“All original Congressmen who are loyal and wedded to the ideology of the party are coming together for the cause of the party,” said the Rajya Sabha member, who has been a strident critic of Amarinder for most part of his current tenure.
Their meeting, which came amid talk of the state unit revamp and former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s elevation to the post of the state unit president, is being seen as the beginning of the realignment of forces in the state Congress.
While Amarinder has strongly opposed the move to appoint Sidhu as the state unit president and is upset over premature public statements and leaks, Bajwa, a former president of the Punjab Congress, has been advocating that “dyed-in-the-wool” Congressmen should be given their due before the new entrants.
Tewari welcomes meeting
Senior leader and MP Manish Tewari welcomed the duo’s dinner meeting. “Good to see @Partap_sbajwa & @capt_amarinder together along with our Hon’ble Speaker @Ranakpinc & @iranaosodhi. Partap who I know since 1983 and Captain Sahib would make a good team for the times ahead. He is an old dyed in the wool Congress man,” he tweeted.