Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu meets Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Highlights
- Navjot Sidhu also skipped election campaigns in Haryana and Delhi
- Mr Sidhu's differences with Amarinder Singh grew after his resistance
- Navjot Singh Sidhu did not attend public events after his resignation
Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has met Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after a long seven-month sulk over his bitter feud with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. After an initial meeting with Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday, he met with the Congress president yesterday.
Navjot Sidhu, 56, skipped the election campaigns in Haryana and in Delhi despite being named among star campaigners of the Congress. He also largely stayed away from public events after handing in his resignation from the Punjab cabinet in July last year.
"Met Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Ji on 25 February 2020 for 40 minutes at her residence. The next day (26 February 2020), met the Congress President and the General Secretary at 10 Janpath for more than an hour," Mr Sidhu said in a statement.
"Got a patient hearing and apprised them of the prevailing situation in Punjab along with the road-map to the resurrection and revival of Punjab back to its pristine glory. This road-map I have persisted with conviction for the past many years in the cabinet and public domain diligently," said the outspoken cricketer-turned-politician.
Mr Sidhu was seen last week at a function in his hometown Amritsar, which also featured his political rivals including Akali Dal's Bikram Majithia.
He quit the Punjab government after his portfolio was changed from local government to power, which he saw as a downgrade.
His differences with party senior Amarinder Singh, aka Captain, steadily grew with his acts of defiance; the Chief Minister complained to the Congress that Mr Sidhu went to Pakistan for Imran Khan's oath ceremony despite his objections.
Mr Sidhu's bonhomie with fellow ex-cricketer Imran Khan became awkward for the Congress, especially photos of the politician hugging Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Recent reports have suggested overtures to Mr Sidhu from parties like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Akali Dal. But the parties have officially denied any talks.