Keeping aside the objections raised by Amarinder Singh and his camp, the Congress High Command on Sunday night announced Navjot Singh Sidhu as the new state party chief of Punjab.
The Congress High Command also ignored Amarinder Singh’s suggestions for the appointment of the working presidents.
The appointment of Sidhu as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president was confirmed in a press release issued by All India Congress Committee (APCC) general secretary KC Venugopal.
The “Congress president has appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect,” the press release said.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi also appointed four persons as the working presidents of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee.
The newly-appointed working presidents of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee are Sangat Singh Gilzian, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Pawan Goel and Kuljit Singh Nagra.
Navjot Singh Sidhu will replace Sunil Jakhar as the PCC chief of Punjab.
“The party appreciates the contributions of outgoing PCC president Sunil Jakhar,” the press release said.
The new working president of Punjab Congress, Kuljit Singh Nagra has been relieved from his present responsibility as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Sikkim, Nagaland and Tripura.
Amarinder Singh fought fiercely against Sidhu’s appointment as the state party president.
Amarinder suggested four names for working presidents and PCC chief — Cabinet minister Vijay Inder Singla, Raj Kumar Chabbewal, Tarsem DC and Ajit Inder Singh Mofar, says a media report.
It has been reported that one of the contentions of the Amarinder camp was that Sidhu is a Jat Sikh like Punjab CM Amarender Singh and his appointment would alienate the Hindus.
After Sidhu’s appointment, outgoing president Sunil Jakhar said the Congress president had entrusted him with a great responsibility with six months to go for Assembly elections.
“I am confident that he will come true to the expectations of the party as well as the people of Punjab and take everybody along,” a media report quoted Jakhar as saying.
Sidhu, a former BJP leader, joined the Congress ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections.
There has been an open war between Amarinder and Sidhu and since April, Sidhu has been attacking the CM on Twitter.
According to sources, Amarinder said he would not meet Sidhu if the latter does not apologise for his tweets.