Amidst speculations, Navjot Singh Sidhu meets Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar

CHANDIGARH: Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu met Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunil Jakhar on Saturday, amid mounting speculation over whether the party will appoint the cricketer-turned-politician as the next head of its state unit.

After the meeting, which lasted more than half-an-hour, Sidhu said Jakhar is his elder brother and a guiding force.

Jakhar, in turn, described Sidhu as a capable man.

Sidhu left his residence in Patiala and reached Jakhar's residence in Panchkula about 65 km away at around 10:45 am, an aide said.

The meeting comes in the backdrop of simmering tensions in the Punjab Congress following differences between Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Sidhu.

On Friday, Sidhu met party chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi in an apparent bid to arrive at a truce formula over the state unit revamp.

Also present at the meeting were AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab Harish Rawat and Rahul Gandhi.

Sources said reports of Sidhu's elevation had irked Amarinder Singh and he had written to Sonia Gandhi expressing strong resentment over the developments.