Sidhu heading towards a situation of no return
Sunday, 09/06/2019
https://www.brightpunjabexpress.com/index.php/2019/06/08/sidhu-heading-towards-a-situation-of-no-return/
CHANDIGARH : The rebel Congress minister Navjot Singh Sidhu appears to be taking his political battle with the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh too far towards a situation from where it may be difficult for him to return. Even after two days of the cabinet reshuffle, Sidhu has not joined his new ministry of Power so far. Instead, he is camping in New Delhi seeking an audience and support from the Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his sister and AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi. Sidhu is learnt to have told his close confidantes that either he will get back the local bodies ministry, from which he was removed, or he will not join at all. He has often been quoted having said, it was not the matter of which ministry was more important, but his dignity as he feels and believes that he has been “unfairly” singled out for party’s failure to get maximum votes in urban areas. Rahul Gandhi is currently on a three-day tour to Wayanad in Kerala, the constituency from where he got elected to the parliament. Even after he returns, Sidhu’s ministerial transfer may not be a priority for the Congress president. Under the given circumstances, it looks unlikely that Gandhi may ask Capt Amarinder to reconsider his decision to replace Sidhu. After all ministerial allocation is the discretion and the prerogative of the Chief Minister. Also nobody can claim a ministry as a matter of right.
Sidhu has placed himself in an unenviable situation and taken the battle too far that too against someone who is not known for beating a retreat. It will be next to impossible to even imagine that Capt Amarinder may revise his decision of replacing Sidhu, come what may. Moreover, Rahul Gandhi, like his mother Ms Sonia Gandhi is not known for interfering into the affairs of the governments in the states. Besides, he enjoys a special bonding with Capt Amarinder. Plus, the outstanding performance by the party under his leadership, makes Capt Amarinder as one of the most powerful and indispensable leaders and assets of the party, whom nobody can afford to annoy and that too when he has not done anything wrong.
Sidhu cannot plead persecution or victimhood. Having been removed from local bodies, he has been allocated with an equally important ministry of power. If he has not liked the reshuffle, so have many other ministers and none of them are seeking the redressal of their grievances from the party high command and have already accepted the will of the Chief Minister. With the passage of time, Sidhu is limiting his options. Given the stand he has taken, resignation from the government looks to be the only option for him, as under the given circumstances, it looks highly unlikely that Gandhi will interfere or Capt Amarinder will review his decision. Sidhu’s stringent posturing may not help him much at this stage. Retreat would have been the best recourse available to him as of now.
After having shown his defiance by not attending the cabinet meeting, first after parliamentary elections, and addressing a press conference to try to prove his Chief Minister wrong, Sidhu has practically made the Chief Minister shut his door on him. Chief Minister on his part provided enough space and reasons to Sidhu for a face saving by giving him an important portfolio like power. By insisting not to join the new ministry, Sidhu is only limiting his own options and heading towards a situation of no return.
