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'If he's still not happy, he can never be': Punjab Congress leader on Sidhu
Punjab Congress leader Sukhwinder Singh Kaka Kamboj said the joining or leaving of Navjot Singh Sidhu doesn't affect the party's chances of winning the elections.
A day after former cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned as the chief of Punjab Congress, party leader Sukhwinder Singh Kaka Kamboj said it doesn't affect their prospects to win the election.
“One man (Navjot Singh Sidhu) leaving or joining the party doesn't affect our prospects to win the election. The Congress will form the govt again,” Kamboj was quoted as saying by news agency ANI on Wednesday.
The Congress leader termed Sidhu's action as betrayal towards the party. “What he did is no less than betrayal,” Kamboj remarked.
Sidhu sent his resignation to the party's national chief Sonia Gandhi stating that he will continue to serve the Congress. "The collapse of a man's character stems from the compromise corner, I can never compromise on Punjab's future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab. Therefore, I hereby resign as the President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee," Sidhu said in his letter sent to Gandhi.
Hours after Sidhu quit, cabinet minister Razia Sultana, Congress state general secretary Yoginder Dhingra and treasurer Gulzar Inder Singh Chahal followed suit in solidarity with him.
Meanwhile, Kamboj slammed Sidhu further to that he was chosen as the party's state chief over Sunil Jakhar, who worked all his life for Congress.
“If he (Sidhu) is still not happy, then he can never be happy. The situation in Punjab is a bit disturbing. The Gandhi family posed a lot of faith in Sidhu and then he did this,” Kamboj said.
Sidhu was appointed the chief of Punjab Congress on July 23 following a feud with Captain Amarinder Singh, who resigned as the chief minister of Punjab on September 18.
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People familiar with the developments said Sidhu was apparently unhappy at not being made the chief minister after Singh stepped down. Charanjit Singh Channi assume the chair of the 27th chief minister.
Sidhu reportedly criticised the induction of ‘tainted’ MLAs, including Rana Gurjit Singh, into the cabinet of chief minister Channi and appointments of APS Deol as the state’s attorney general and Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota as the state’s director general of police.
Earlier in the day, chief minister Channi said he has spoken to Sidhu and invited him to talks so that the differences can be ironed out.
The crisis in Punjab Congress has cropped up months ahead of the state assembly election next year.
