NEW DELHI: After days of speculation, in the middle of heavy tension within the state party, the Congress has announced the name of Navjot Singh Sidhu as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) along with four working presidents — Sangat Singh Gilzian, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Pawan Goel and Kuljit Singh Nagra.

The promotion of Sidhu who was a minister in the state comes in the wake of intense squabbling between the camps of Sidhu and chief minister Amarinder Singh who has been overwhelmingly against the elevation of the cricketer-turned-politician.

Singh has made it amply clear to the Congress general secretary in charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat who has been meeting supporters from both sides that Sidhu would not be accepted by the cadre and elevating him will adversely impact the party's prospects in the forthcoming assembly elections in 2022.

In a bid to placate both the leaders, amidst the rift, both of them met party top brass. While Sidhu met Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in the first week of July CM Singh met high command Sonia Gandhi the week later.

Singh may have thought that the party would consider his requesting against Sidhu, however seeing that despite his objection the party high command was going ahead announcing the name of Sidhu for the top post, just a day ago he wrote to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi saying that the party will suffer if Sidhu is made state unit chief. 

Singh wrote that there was widespread resentment brewing in the state unit due to Sidhu and if he was appointed as the state party chief it could lead to a split in the party. Sources in the Congress however say that the high command has made it clear to Singh that while it would go ahead with Sidhu's promotion, Singh would remain as the party's chief ministerial face for the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls.

Meanwhile, as the new state party chief, Sidhu's path is not without blocks, knowing that Singh will not easily budge. The least the CM will accept to break the ice is a public apology for Sidhu for his tweets and statement against him. Sidhu camp is maintaining that such an apology is not in the offing.