Everything will be all right: KC Venugopal on Punjab Congress crisis

Amid the ongoing crisis in the party's Punjab unit, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Wednesday said the party has nothing to worry about as everything will be all right.

Navjot Singh Sidhu's resignation as state party chief has intensified the crisis in the Punjab Congress, and triggered discussions and deliberations in the party. A series of resignations poured in after Sidhu's resignation.

A minister and three Congress leaders, considered close to Sidhu, stepped down from their posts delivering a big blow to the Congress high command that was hoping to resolve the tussle between Sidhu and captain Amarinder Singh after Navjot was appointed as Punjab Congress president ahead of the Assembly elections early next year.

Asked about the situation, Venugopal told ANI, "We have nothing to worry about. Everything will be all right."

Sidhu, a cricketer-turned-politician, caused a surprise with his resignation as Punjab Congress chief on Tuesday.

"The collapse of a man's character stems from the compromise corner, I can never compromise on Punjab's future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab. Therefore, I hereby resign as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Will continue to serve the Congress," Sidhu said in his resignation letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Meanwhile, the top Congress leadership has not accepted Navjot Singh Sidhu's resignation, is adopting a wait and watch policy and has asked the local party leadership to resolve the matter.

A leader involved in the process told ANI that the Congress top leadership is maintaining a wait and watch stance in the matter.

"We are maintaining a wait and watch policy as Navjot Singh Sidhu is an emotional person. His resignation has not been accepted by the party president and we have asked the state leadership to resolve the issue," he said.

On the other hand, former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said "I had said that he (Navjot Singh Sidhu) is an unstable man, he would not stay for long and the same happened."

Veteran Congress leader Sunil Jakhar, whom Sidhu had replaced as state party chief, tweeted, "It's just not cricket! What stands compromised in this entire 'episode' is the faith reposed in the (outgoing?) PCC President by the Congress Leadership. No amount of grandstanding can justify this breach of trust placing his benefactors in a peculiar predicament."

The tussle in Punjab Congress escalated after the party's central leadership sought to bury the hatchet by appointing Navjot Singh Sidhu as the Congress chief apparently against the desire of the then chief minister.