After resigning Amarinder Singh had told NDTV that all options were open to him (File)
Amarinder Singh's Delhi visit is "personal" and there is "no need for speculation", the former Punjab Chief Minister's media advisor tweeted today, after buzz the veteran politician - one of the Congress' most high-profile faces and someone once seen as extremely close to the Gandhi family - was set to meet BJP chief JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of elections in the state next year.
"Too much being read into Captain Amarinder's visit to Delhi. He is on a personal visit, during which he'll meet some friends and vacate Kapurthala House (the Punjab Chief Minister's residence in the national capital) ... No need for unnecessary speculation," his media advisor, Raveen Thukral, said.
Reports Mr Singh had a meeting lined up with two of the BJP's most senior faces had triggered speculation he could add to the long list of top Congress leaders who have quit in recent months.
Amarinder Singh stepped down as Punjab Chief Minister 10 days ago - months before the election and after a long and bitter feud with rival Navjot Sidhu over several issues, including the farmers' protests, electricity tariffs, and the 2015 sacrilege case and subsequent police action.
As he quit a furious Mr Singh said he had been "humiliated" thrice by the Congress leadership in his battle with Mr Sidhu. He also wrote to Sonia Gandhi and warned her against positioning the former India cricketer as a chief ministerial candidate for next year's election.
"... for the sake of my country, I'll oppose his (Sidhu) name for Chief Minister. It's a matter of national security... is an incompetent man... a total disaster..." he told NDTV.
Last week Mr Singh dropped worrying hints he intended to follow through on that promise. He threatened to field a candidate against him and said he would "make any sacrifice" to stop him.
"He is dangerous for the state," he said in a statement to the press.
At the time Mr Singh also refused to comment on his political future; he told NDTV " I can't answer that right now" when asked if he would remain in the Congress. He emphasised that his political options were open and that he was talking to "friends" before deciding on his future path.
"You can be old at 40 and young at 80," he said, making it clear he did not see his age as a hurdle.
Equally worrying was his no-holds criticism of the Gandhis.
"I was ready to leave after the victory but never after a loss... If she (Sonia Gandhi) had just called me and asked me to step down, I would have. As a soldier, I know how to do my task..." he said.
The "Gandhi children" - a reference to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra - were "quite inexperienced" and their advisors were clearly misguiding them, the Captain also said.
Hours after Mr Thakral's tweet there was another twist in the Congress' Punjab crisis - Navjot Sidhu resigned as chief of the party's state unit, citing his unwillingness to "compromise".
Amarinder Singh's caustic one-line response to the Sidhu shocker was "I told you so...".
This comes as new Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, seen to be close to Mr Sidhu, had been making changes to the Punjab cabinet.
Though Mr Sidhu was widely seen as a "Super Chief Minister" in some of the decisions, he was reportedly not consulted, or ignored, in some appointments seen as controversial.