A day after Navjot Singh Sidhu’s elevation as Punjab Congress chief, there was no sign of a thaw in his strained relationship with Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. The cricketer-turned-politician and his Captain were engaged in their own show of strength that did not augur well for the health of the State party ahead of the Assembly polls.

The two were so near, yet so far away, as they met their loyalists at locations a few hundred feet away from each other in Chandigarh Sector 2 on Monday.

Sidhu’s appointment came amid opposition from party MPs and several MLAs. Besides, the High Command’s decision to elevate Sidhu was also seen as a snub to the Chief Minister.

Notably, Amarinder has all along been opposing Sidhu’s elevation to the party’s apex post. In the process, he had used every possible ammunition he had — playing the caste card, indicating a possible split within the party, flagging up the national security issue for Sidhu’s association with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, and joining hands with his political rival Partap Singh Bajwa. But to no avail.

The Congress’ interim president Sonia Gandhi declared Sidhu as Punjab Congress chief.Amarinder, who is yet to congratulate or welcome the new party chief, had already made it clear to the party High Command that he would not meet Sidhu till he publicly apologise for “150-odd derogatory tweets” against him and the State Government. Besides, none of the party MPs, even those who have been active on social media, has tweeted to welcome the new party president.

It has been learnt that the party parliamentarians have conveyed their unhappiness over Sidhu’s appointment to the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi during the Parliament’s Monsoon Session, that started on Monday.

On Monday, while about 12 Ministers and legislators met the Chief Minister at his official residence, Sidhu held a meeting with about 30 party leaders, including Ministers and MLAs, at the official residence of Cabinet Minister Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa.

Meanwhile, Raveen Thukral, Media Advisor to the Punjab CM refuted reports that Singh had invited Congress MLAs and MPs from the State for lunch on July 21.

On the other hand, Tripat Bajwa hosted a high-tea to welcome the new State party chief, where around 30 party leaders, including Ministers and MLAs, interacted, strategised, and also posed for the shutterbugs.

Continuing his meeting spree for the fourth consecutive day, Sidhu on Monday met one of the working president Kuljit Singh Nagra, his predecessor Sunil Jakhar, former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, and then visited Tripat Bajwa’s house where Cabinet Ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, and Razia Sultana were already present, besides several party MLAs. Late in the evening, Sidhu visited Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh, where he was accompanied by Charanjit Singh Channi. Sidhu then met party MLA Nabha Kaka Randeep Singh, Ferozepur MLA Parminder Singh Pinki, besides others.