CHANDIGARH: Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the chasm in Punjab Congress appears to have widened with former state party president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday holding a rally ‘Jittega Punjab, Jittegi Congress’ in Moga and taking potshots at his own party leadership.
It was his fourth rally in the last two months despite the objections by senior leaders of the party who called Sidhu’s outreach an act of “indiscipline”. While addressing the rally at Moga, Sidhu emphasised that the grand old party cannot survive on its old glory as it needs to bring honesty and help people improve their lives; only then can the Congress forge ahead.
“Now, no more goats and sheep. The party needs tigers,’’ he said. He also hit out at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, saying that the “pack of lies” will not work.
On Saturday, Moga in-charge Malvika Sood Sachar -- the sister of actor Sonu Sood, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2022 Assembly elections from Moga --had directed the party workers against participating in the rally.
Ruffled by Sidhu’s solo political outreach, the senior leaders of the Punjab Congress had recently raised the issue with Congress’ Punjab affairs in-charge Devender Yadav. They asked to rein him in as his rallies are being seen as an attempt to revive his political fortunes since his defeat in the 2022 Assembly polls.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring had already said that party programmes should be held in consultation with the state unit chief.