Amarinder meets Sonia, says discussed state issues

New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh met interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi here on Tuesday, their first meeting after the latter appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as Punjab Congress chief despite the Chief Minister's opposition.

Amarinder Singh and Sonia Gandhi met for an hour, and sources said that the two leaders discussed the Assembly elections in Punjab which is scheduled next year, besides talking about a minor reshuffle in the state cabinet.

Amarinder Singh's media advisor, Raveen Thukral, tweeted quoting the Chief Minister after the meeting: "Met @INCIndia president #SoniaGandhi ji in Delhi this evening to discuss various state related issues. Spent an extremely satisfying one hour with her."

Ahead of meeting Sonia Gandhi, Amarinder had detailed discussions with poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who had recently resigned from his post as advisor to the Chief Minister.

From Sonia Gandhi's residence, the Punjab Chief Minister went to meet Home Minister Amit Shah.

Ahead of his trip to Delhi, Amarinder Singh had held a meeting with the newly-constituted state Congress team and said that all key issues of concern raised by them were already in advanced stages of resolution by his government, which had been working on them in close coordination with the party.

The new leadership team, led by state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, had called on the Chief Minister and submitted a letter listing out some issues which they said needed urgent settlement.

Noting that his government had already implemented most of the promises made to the people in the party's election manifesto in 2017, the Chief Minister told the state leadership that the other pending issues are also being resolved.