Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh met Navjot Singh Sidhu over lunch Wednesday. The meeting triggered speculation that Sidhu may be re-inducted into the state cabinet. Both Amarinder Singh and Sidhu have been not on best of terms since May last year. It happened when the CM accused the former cricketer of the ‘inept handling’ of the Local Government Department. Amarinder claimed it resulted in ‘poor performance’ of the Congress in urban areas during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Sidhu was stripped of key portfolios in a cabinet reshuffle, after which he resigned from the state cabinet. He also stayed away from all Congress activities.
Amarinder Singh had invited Tuesday the cricketer-turned-politician for lunch. According to a media adviser to the chief minister, both leaders spent an hour together at Amarinder’s residence here and shared thoughts on various issues.
“It was a warm & cordial luncheon meeting that saw CM @capt_amarinder and Navjot Singh Sidhu discuss a host of important political matters of Punjab and national interest. The two leaders spent a pleasant over an hour sharing thoughts on vital issues,” the media adviser tweeted.
Earlier, Sidhu had made a public appearance at a ‘tractor rally’ against the Centre’s farm laws in Moga last month. Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, Amarinder Singh and others were also present on the occasion. Sidhu attended the ‘tractor rally’ after AICC general secretary Harish Rawat met him at his residence in Amritsar.
With Rawat pushing for a role for Sidhu in Punjab, party circles are abuzz with speculation that Sidhu may be re-inducted into the state cabinet. Rawat had dubbed him as the Congress’ ‘Rafale’ and said the Congress MLA’s worst critic cannot deny his usefulness.