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Capt rules out immediate cabinet reshuffle in Punjab
Says Sidhu as the party chief and he as the CM were performing two different sets of responsibilities
Sunam
Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday ruled out the possibility of an immediate cabinet reshuffle and said his government has already implemented several steps from the 18-point agenda given by the Congress high command.
Amarinder also said his government had fulfilled 93% of the party’s promises made in the election manifesto.
After the party’s state unit revamp to quell factionalism, there was speculation about the possibility of a reshuffle in the cabinet. The party high command last month had also asked Amarinder to act on 18 issues including the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib, drugs and power purchase agreements.
The CM was interacting with the media after inaugurating Shaheed Udham Singh Memorial in Sunam during a state-level function on the 82nd martyrdom of the freedom fighter.
He said that his government and party leadership would work unitedly towards steering the Congress to victory in the 2022 assembly elections.
Replying to a question about two power centres in the Congress, the CM said there was nothing unusual as Navjot Singh Sidhu in the capacity of the Punjab Congress chief and he as the chief minister are performing two different sets of responsibilities. Amarinder said he also remained the state Congress president thrice and knew well about the duties of the party chief. Moreover, the government and the party are two different entities having defined roles.
Asked to comment on Sidhu’s not mentioning either his (CM), Rahul or Priyanka’s name in his address on his installation ceremony, the CM said it is hardly any issue and doesn’t affect him at all.
Answering to another query about Sidhu’s frequent meetings with party leaders and MLAs, the CM said that it’s the duty of the party president to strengthen the organisational structure which could only be possible by keeping close liaison with the rank and file of the party. He said that party and government should work as a team since the assembly elections are just six months away.
Asked to spell out the roadmap for the upcoming assembly polls, Amarinder said his government had already fulfilled 93% of poll promises made in the election manifesto and would soon go up to 95%. He said 5% of the remaining promises are left only due to the GST regime because when their party drafted manifesto, there was a system of VAT.
