CHANDIGARH: The factional fight in Punjab Congress was on full display on the second day of Rahul Gandhi’s tractor rally at Sangrur with dissident former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu missing in action and newly appointed Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat, seen by many as mender-in-chief, facing the heat.
Sidhu unexpectedly chose to skip the rally after his fiery speech at Moga on Sunday, taking a dig at his own party’s government.
However, the absence of Congress Rajya Sabha MPs Partap Singh Bajwa and S S Dullo, who in the recent past had been at loggerheads with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh over his style of functioning, was on expected lines.
Rawat, on the other hand, could not find place on the stage on Monday. Seated on the stage along with Rahul were Amarinder, former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, state cabinet ministers Balbir Singh Sidhu and Vijay Inder Singal and Haryana MP Deepender Singh Hooda.
It is learnt that Sidhu is upset as he may not get any position in the party or the state cabinet as of now. Rawat said it was for the chief minister to take a call who should, or shouldn’t, be in the cabinet.
Bajwa and Dullo were conspicuous by their absence from Rahul’s tractor rallies on both days. Incidentally, both are considered close to Rahul as well as Priyanka Gandhi.
When contacted, Bajwa declined to speak on the matter while Dullo was not available for comments. Both had criticised Amarinder earlier over hooch tragedy and a host of other issues.
Also, the Rahul will now be arriving for a day-long visit to Haryana on Tuesday instead of earlier two days.