Congress preparing a roadmap in Punjab while eyeing 2024 Lok Sabha Elections

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After the abandoning of party by former Congressmen including former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, former PPCC president Sunil Jakhar, former minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi and others, the Congress party in Punjab has a tough challenge to face and win peoples’ confidence, especially in absence of popular faces who have joined the saffron party.

Congress high command has already ‘adjusted’ known faces and towering political personalities in Punjab Congress like Partap Bajwa as Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as PPCC president, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa as Congress in charge of Rajasthan, Sukhpal Singh Khaira as Kisan Congress Chief etc.

The question has yet to get answer that - Is Congress high command preparing grounds to ‘adjust’ former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Navjot Singh Sidhu after his reported release from Patiala jail on January 26th? Though there is no official information about the release of Sidhu on January 26th but the Congress high command has ‘sounded alert’ to its Center as well as State leadership to find a suitable and challenging role for Sidhu to take on oppositions challenges once he is out of jail.

Sidhu is currently undergoing one year’s jail sentence in Patiala Central jail  in a 1988 road rage case. A senior Congress source in Punjab told Zee News that he had met Sidhu in Patiala jail in recent past and found him hale and hearty for his future role in Congress. “He has lost 32 kg of weight, upbeat and in high esteem to take on the political challenges when he will be released on January 26th,” said the source.

Some say that a comedian will take on another comedian better than anyone else so Sidhu, a former comedian, is being considered the most suited person to take on Aam Aadmi Party chief minister Bhagwant Mann, also a former comedian.

“Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was discontented for not adjusting him respectfully so he was given the charge of Rajasthan  Congress which will also keep his focus outside Punjab and Khaira is given Kisan Cells responsibility leaving ample space for Sidhu to operate without any internal opposition,” said sources in Congress.

“Unlike Captain Amarinder, Sunil Jakhar or others, Sidhu will remain in Congress and will be given a significant and crucial task to handle in Punjab with an aim to resurrect Congress in Punjab," said sources adding that these leaders especially the towering leaders would definitely make a dent to Congress prospects in Punjab but for some time only but still there were nearly four years to go for the next assembly election which was a sufficient time for Congress to re-strengthen itself in Punjab.

The buzz is that a roadmap is being prepared by Congress's high command to adjust more Punjab Congress leaders ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections else it could prove detrimental to the party’s electoral prospects in the 2027 assembly elections.