Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi met the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi today. As per sources, the two hour long meeting at Gandhi's resident was also attendedby KC Venugopal and Harish Choudhary.
Captain Amarinder’s political entry as rival and measures to manifest a united image of the party in Punjab were the key issues discussed during the meeting.
This was the first formal in-person meeting between the Punjab CM and the Congress high command since Captain Amarinder Singh announced that his party will run for all 117 Punjab Assemblyseats in the upcoming 2022 elections.
The former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced his own party just days ago. He also declared that his party will ally with Bharatiya Janata Party and will contestagainst Congress in upcoming elections.
The announcement has caused a stir in party headquarters as Capt Amarinder’s close aides and those who were ousted from their cabinet portfolios after Charanjit Channi became CM,can quit the party as well. The former Congress leader had also declared that he is in talks with some party MLAs and will make big revelations when the time comes.
For now, sources believe that Congress is considering preventing its leaders and Amarinder Singh's loyalists from joining his new political party. Rahul Gandhi held a closed-doormeeting with MLAs close to the Captain on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, Capt Amarinder, along with 25-30 others, is scheduled to meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah today to resolve the farmers' agitation. A resolution will likely pavethe way for an Amarinder Singh-BJP coalition in the Punjab elections.
Punjab CM to meet PM Modi
Since Punjab CM is in Delhi, the source claims that Channi is likely to seek an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urge him to revoke the order increasing the Border SecurityForce's jurisdiction (BSF).
On Wednesday, it was decided at an all-party meeting in Chandigarh that the Punjab Chief Minister will head a team of all political parties to urge the Prime Minister to withdraw theorder.