Supporters silent, CM Captain Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu spat grows louder in Jalandhar

JALANDHAR: It has been five days since chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh lashed out at MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu and challenged him to contest from Patiala. Sidhu retorted but till now, only two ministers and one MP have come out openly in support of the chief minister and against Sidhu. Others have remained silent for the most part. The only MLA who tweeted in the CM’s support did not attack Sidhu.
This is in stark contrast to the earlier position, when ministers and MLAs would rush to defend Amarinder whenever the opposition attacked him. This silence appears more ominous in view of the fact that the Congress wove its campaign around Amarinder. Despite leading a contingent of MLAs in Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh appears to be fighting this battle with Sidhu on his own.
Silence prevailed even when Sidhu was mounting pressure, seeking to put the CM in the dock on the outcome of the Kotkapura firing case. During a cabinet meeting on April 26, the CM asked ministers why they were not putting up a defence in the face of attacks from the opposition, yet barring two, others maintained a stoic silence.
In the wake of ministers’ and MLAs’ silence, Amarinder had to take up cudgels himself and challenge Sidhu to contest from Patiala. Even then, only two ministers - Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Sunder Sham Arora - questioned Sidhu. Although the Congress has eight Lok Sabha members, only Ravneet Bittu has attacked Sidhu and supported Amarinder. Sultanpur Lodhi MLA Navtej Singh Cheema has been the only MLA to tweet in support of Amarinder but he too refrained from attacking Sidhu.
When MLA Pargat Singh openly questioned the CM and divulged details of what he spoke of in the meeting of MLAs with the CM, no minister or MLA tried to counter him or defend the CM on the questions he raised.
The Kishor question
Although poll strategist Prashant Kishor announced to quit despite the victory of his client, Trinamool Congress, in West Bengal, it remains unclear if he would do the same in Punjab. Only a few weeks back, Punjab CM appointed him his principal advisor. He also held meetings with MLAs in the thick of elections in Bengal and was the not visible in the state. However, he said there were capable people in I-PAC, who would continue doing the job. A few senior Punjab Congress leaders TOI spoke to said Kishor’s appointment was between the CM and the poll strategist and no one in the Punjab Congress was in the loop.