Punjab political crisis: Why Sidhu chose to quit as state Congress chief

Navjot Singh Sidhu, who resigned as Punjab Congress chief on Tuesday, is miffed as tainted leaders, officers and even rivals are now in the Punjab government, sources said.

Navjot Singh Sidhu has objected to certain top appointments and allocation of portfolios to Cabinet ministers. Below are some of the names, according to sources.

IPS OFFICER SAHOTA

Sidhu has objected to the appointment of IPS officer Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota as the new DGP (officiating) as he was heading the first SIT formed by the Badal government to look into the 2015 Behible Kalan firing incident. The SIT under his supervision had allegedly picked two innocent Sikh youths that irked the people.

APS DEOL, ADVOCATE GENERAL OF PUNJAB

Sidhu is also miffed with Chief Minister Channi for appointing Amar Preet Singh Deol as the Advocate General of Punjab. Deol in the past secured a blanket bail for former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in a disproportionate assets case. He had also contested the case of a tainted IPS officer besides the Punjab government.

RANA GURJIT SINGH

Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit Singh’s inclusion in the cabinet has also been objected to by Sidhu as Rana is accused of masterminding a mining scam in 2018.

BRAHM MOHINDRA

Sidhu was also not happy with the portfolio allocation.

His previous department, Local Government, has been given to Brahm Mohindra, a captain Amarinder Singh’s loyalist.

Sidhu had first objected to his candidature as the deputy Chief Minister which was accepted by the party high command, causing a major embarrassment to Mohindra.

Later, Mohindra was included in the cabinet and was allocated the Local Government department.

Sidhu wanted to get this department allocated to another minister.

SUKHJINDER SINGH RANDHAWA

Senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who supported Navjot Singh Sidhu during his campaign to get the post of Punjab Congress chief, became an adversary after his name was skipped as the new CLP leader. Sidhu pushed his name to become Chief Minister, which the party high command did not consider as he was already heading the state party unit.

Sidhu later proposed the name of Charanjit Singh Channi, which was accepted by the leadership.

Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was, however, chosen as the Home Minister, which left Sidhu red-faced.

As the setbacks accumulated and the party high command gave a free hand to CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Navjot Singh Sidhu chose to quit as the Punjab Congress chief.