Amarinder Singh writes to Sonia Gandhi; objects to Sidhu as Punjab Congress chief

New Delhi, July 16: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has reportedly written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, expressing his 'displeasure' amid speculations of Navjot Singh Sidhu being named the Congress' state chief as party in-fighting continues.

The Punjab CM is learnt to have mentioned that there could be an adverse impact on the party's prospects in the upcoming Assembly polls by ignoring the old guard.

In another development, Congress general secretary and in-charge of Punjab affairs at the AICC Harish Rawat is likely to meet Amarinder Singh in Chandigarh on Saturday.

Sidhu, a former BJP MP, had joined the Congress ahead of the 2017 assembly polls. There are reports that he is likely to be made Punjab Congress chief.

However, Amarinder Singh has expressed his displeasure over Sidhu being given a key post, said the sources. There is also talk of appointing two working presidents -- a Dalit and a Hindu face to balance the caste equations.

The names of minister Vijay Inder Singla and MP Santokh Chaudhary were doing the rounds for the post of working presidents. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is a Jat Sikh.

Currently, Sunil Jakhar is the PPCC president. Rawat is expected to meet the chief minister at his farmhouse at Siswan in Mohali on Saturday afternoon, the sources further said without divulging much about the proposed meeting.

Amid continued internal feud in the state unit of the Congress, Sidhu on Friday met party president Gandhi in Delhi. Congress leader and chairman of Punjab Large Industrial Development Board Pawan Dewan urged the party to have a representation of the Hindu community on key posts in the state unit.

"Punjab Congress president - Jat Sikh (if Sidhu is made state Congress chief). CM-Jat Sikh. Punjab Youth Congress President- Jat Sikh Campaign Committee Chairman- Jat Sikh, Hindu kaha hai (where is the representation of the Hindu community)?" he tweeted.

Sidhu has been at loggerheads with Amarinder Singh and he had attacked the chief minister over the alleged delay in justice in the 2015 sacrilege and subsequent police firing incidents.

With PTI inputs