All eyes on Sidhu as Captain Amarinder’s Cabinet meets post polls today

Sidhu’s confrontation with Amarinder reached a flashpoint when the cricketer-turned-politician hinted at a collusion between the Punjab CM and the Badals, while speaking at a rally in Bathinda in favour of Congress candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. The CM later termed the Local Bodies Minister a non-performer and indicated that Sidhu may be relived of the department.

Sources in the government said that there was no item from Sidhu’s department on Cabinet’s agenda as of now.

Several ministers, especially those who had criticised Sidhu for his “quid pro quo” remark at Bathinda rally and had urged the high command to act against him, are also watching keenly the development.

While sources close to Amarinder said that he was contemplating re-allocating portfolios to ministers but in the meantime, Sidhu joined his office. It was learnt that he has cleared a few files too.

While CM and Sidhu have not met ever since the tension escalated between them, both have traded barbs at each other through the media. After Amarinder’s indication of a change in portfolio, Sidhu also spoke to media last week and said he was being singled out for loss of seats in the elections. He had said he was targeted by a set of 8-9 people.

He has also continued with his tweets, mostly couplets, which are being read as his jibes at the current scenario vis-a-vis his relationship with the CM. While no minister has come out openly against his tweets, a disquiet prevails in the Cabinet about the developments.

Sidhu getting attacked by other Cabinet colleagues is not new. At the time of Kartarpur corridor issue, when Sidhu had gone to Pakistan and courted a controversy by hugging their Army chief, and Amarinder had criticised him, the Cabinet had decided to bring a condemnation resolution against Sidhu. It was after the intervention of the high command that the idea was dropped.