All India Congress Committee President Sonia Gandhi has appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect, ANI reported. 

Sangat Singh Gilzian, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Pawan Goel and Kuljit Singh Nagra have been appointed as the working presidents for the Punjab unit who will assist Sidhu in the run-up to the next assembly elections.

“Congress president has appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect,” the party statement said. 

“The party appreciates the contributions of outgoing PCC president Sunil Jakhar,” the statement said.

The announcement of Sidhu’s elevation came after days of speculation and amid strong opposition from Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

 Earlier in the day, 10 Congress MLAs had written to the party high command “not to let down CM Captain Amarinder Singh, due to whose unrelenting efforts the party stands well entrenched in Punjab,’ ANI reported. 

Also Read: Congress’s Punjab headache continues, Amarinder-Sidhu tangle gets trickier

Following the appointment of Sidhu as the Punjab Congress Chief, senior Congress leader and former law minister Ashwani Kumar urged party leaders in Punjab to gracefully accept the decision of the Congress high command.

“This is a time to be united. There are no victors or losers. Reconciliation is the way forward. All Congress persons will, hopefully, have a role to play in fighting an ideological battle,” he said in a statement.

He added that Amarinder Singh and Sidhu will need to pull together, and for this purpose magnanimity is expected on both sides.

“It is necessary to ensure that no one feels diminished. Sometimes, and in a complex political situation, perfect solutions are impossible. We know that in politics a person is as important as the purpose one serves,” he said.

“The voice of the silent majority that defines the conscience of the party is in favour of unity and should be heeded,” he added.