Punjab MPs seek to meet Sonia Gandhi, may oppose Sidhu appointment

Congress MPs from Punjab have sought an appointment with party chief Sonia Gandhi with sources saying that a majority of them were of the view that Navjot Singh Sidhu should not be appointed as the state party chief.

Congress MPs from both Houses met on Sunday afternoon at Rajya Sabha member Pratap Singh Bajwa's residence to discuss the likely move to appoint Sidhu as the state Congress chief, sources said.

Asked about the meet, Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari, who is batting for a non-Sikh state chief, said: "Internal party matters will be only be discussed at party forums."

Bajwa, who was the host, played down the meeting, saying: "We are with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi... whatever decision they will take, everybody will accept it."


The meeting follows two key meetings on Saturday -- the first one between Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and the party's state in-charge Harish Rawat in Chandigarh and the second was attended by Speaker Rana K.P. Singh, Bajwa, and the Chief Minister.

Reiterating that he would accept any decision taken by Sonia Gandhi, Amarinder Singh has termed the meeting with Rawat as fruitful, adding that the latter would take up the issues raised by him with the party chief.

Meanwhile, Sidhu is meeting MLAs in Punjab and about 10 MLAs have come out in open support of Amarinder Singh.-IANS