Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was again called to Delhi by the Congress high command to discuss the expansion of the State Cabinet, just hours after he returned from the national capital, according to sources.
Mr. Channi has left for the national capital from here, they added.
Third visit
It is the CM’s third visit to Delhi in the past few days.
Mr. Channi had gone to Delhi on Thursday evening where he discussed the formation of his Cabinet with Rahul Gandhi.
He had also held discussions with All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Harish Rawat.
After the meeting, Mr. Channi returned on early Friday morning.
Meanwhile, former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar is learnt to have met party leader Rahul Gandhi.
There is now speculation that Mr. Jakhar, who narrowly missed out on succeeding Amarinder Singh as the CM, may be rehabilitated with some post.
Mr. Jakhar was the front runner for the post of the Congress Legislature Party leader. However, party leaders, including Ambika Soni, suggested that a Sikh should occupy the top post in the State. The Congress the picked Mr. Channi, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community.
New faces likely
The State Cabinet is likely to see some fresh faces, the sources said.
The names of Pargat Singh, Raj Kumar Verka, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Surjit Dhiman, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Kuljit Singh Nagra are doing the rounds.
Pargat Singh, considered close to Navjot Singh Sidhu, is at present the party general secretary and Mr. Gilzian is a working president of the party’s State unit.
There is speculation that Capt. Amarinder’s staunch loyalists — Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, who is the Sports Minister, and Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, who is the Social Justice Empowerment Minister — may be dropped from the Cabinet.