Sidhu meets PK after poll strategist declines Cong offer
Darpan News Desk IANS, 26 Apr, 2022 10:20 AM
New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Former Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday met election strategist Prashant Kishor after the latter declined the offer to join the Congress.
After the meeting, Sidhu tweeted: "Had a wonderful meeting with my old friend PK... Old wine, Old gold and Old friends still the best!!!"
Sidhu has been left out in the cold ever since the party lost the elections in Punjab earlier this year. He was asked to resign after the party appointed Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as the new President of Punjab Congress. Since then the Congress has set up a new team in Punjab, reportedly annoying the former state Congress chief.
Meanwhile, after declining the offer to join the Congress on Tuesday, Kishor said the party needs leadership and collective will to fix deep-rooted structural problems.
"I declined the generous offer of #Congress to join the party as part of the EAG & take responsibility for the elections," Kishor tweeted.
"In my humble opinion, more than me, the party needs leadership and collective will to fix the deep-rooted structural problems through transformational reforms," he added.
The Congress on Tuesday officially announced that election Kishor will not be working for the party as he declined to be part of the empowered action group for the 2024 general elections.
The declaration came a day after Sonia Gandhi had announced the constitution of the group.
The Indian government, before taking any final decision on the resumption of international flight operations, is "closely monitoring" the situation emerging out of the detection and spread of coronavirus' Omicron variant.
On Sunday, Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to stop international flights from regions witnessing a rise in Covid-19 cases. Meanwhile, Delhi government-run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital has been designated to treat patients testing positive for the new Covid-19 variant Omicron.
Customs officials at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here seized 472.8 grams gold in paste form from seat pockets of a flight that arrived from Guwahati. Acting on specific intelligence, Customs sleuths recovered in gold paste form worth Rs. 23.33 lakh.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday exhorted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept his proposal for complete waiver of farmers and farm labourers' debt, adding the state is ready to take over its share of debt burden along with the government of India.
Among other questions, the MPs had sought to know the number of cases registered against farmers in connection with the agitation; the data on the number of farmers who died during the agitation held in and around the National Capital; and whether the government proposes to provide financial assistance to the kin of farmers who died during the said agitation.
A day after the three contentious farm laws were repealed by the Parliament, the government on Tuesday reached out to the agitating farmers, asking them to suggest five names to be included in a committee to be formed to discuss farm related issues, including MSP.