Amarinder meets Rahul: Cabinet reshuffle put off, only after 2019 Lok Sabha elections

These decisions were taken during two separate meetings between Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and AICC president Rahul Gandhi which was preceded by a collective meeting between Amarinder, Rahul, PPCC president Sunil Kumar Jakhar, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Punjab’s Secretary in-charge Harish Chaudhary.

Amarinder is learnt to have discussed report card of several of his Cabinet colleagues with Rahul in his one-to-one meeting with the party chief. The CM had taken the report card of nearly half a dozen ministers on the basis of their performance and several complaints.

Rahul, sources close to the Chief Minister said, had asked Amarinder to wait till the LS elections for the proposed reshuffle. He is also learnt to have said at both the meetings that all his attention was at the upcoming Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Rajasthan.

The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) had prepared a dossier on the ministers, whose portfolios were proposed to be changed. The changes were also suggested and those who were to be given added responsibilities were also mentioned in the dossier.

On the appointment as chairpersons, it is learnt that the collective meeting discussed the issue. Concerns that with the appointment of MLAs, several non-MLAs may be upset were also aired. Rahul is learnt to have asked the CM to make sure that the chairpersons were appointed strictly in accordance with rules so that these pass legal scrutiny.

Sources said Amarinder was keen on getting the MLAs appointed as chairpersons as soon as possible but Rahul tried to involve Gehlot in the screening. Rahul had earlier given Gehlot the responsibility of placating a few SC MLAs, who were upset after the Cabinet expansion earlier this year.

Gehlot had met them and promised that the party would accommodate them at some other posts. In Thursday’s meeting, Gehlot indicated that he was busy with Rajasthan Assembly election scheduled on December 7.

The collective meeting also discussed the campaign duties of Punjab leaders in the states going to Assembly polls in recent future. Both the meetings went on for 15-20 minutes each, sources said.