Channi meets Sidhu hours after Sidhu’s letter to Sonia was public

Chandigarh : Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday met Punjab Pradesh Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu in the presence of AICC observer Harish Chaudhary here.

Cabinet minister Pargat Singh, who is also general secretary (organisation), PPCC, was present in the meeting that took place at guest house of Punjab Raj Bhavan here.

The meeting was a follow-up of Sidhu’s meeting with AICC general secretary KC Venugopal and Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Rawat on October 14, followed by a meeting with party leader Rahul Gandhi.

This comes after PPCC chief Sidhu made public a letter written to party interim president Sonia Gandhi, seeking a meeting to present a 13-point agenda for the party’s campaign for the next Assembly polls.

“I further request you to kindly give me a personal audience to present to you the Punjab Model with a 13-Point Agenda to be part of the Congress Manifesto for the 2022 Assembly Elections, which is separate from this by means of its long-term vision to be implemented over a longer period of time, have crafted it through years of consultations with academics, civil society, party workers and feedback from the People of Punjab,” Sidhu said in his letter.

Party high command had categorically told both Sidhu and CM Channi had been asked to sit together and iron the issues that have become bone of contention between the two leaders.

On September 30, a three-member panel comprising CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Navjot Singh Sidhu and AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs was decided upon to resolve the impasse over official appointments besides other issues. However, no formal orders were issued in this regard.

This decision was taken at a meeting between the CM, Sidhu, Punjab affairs incharge Harish Rawat on September 30.

It was then decided that the three-member panel would meet at least once a week to discuss key government decisions and appointments, indicating that Sidhu would be involved in the decision-making exercise.

Giving officiating charge of DGP Vigilance to Siddharth Chattopadhyaya was in line with Sidhu’s demand, who wanted to make him DGP.