Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and former Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu are expected to meet over lunch on Wednesday

For the second time in nearly four months, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and former Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu are expected to meet over lunch on Wednesday at Siswan near Chandigarh.

The meeting is being viewed as the Congress high command's attempt to placate Sidhu, who is likely to be a star campaigner in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.

Navjot Singh Sidhu

This will be the second meeting between Singh and Sidhu. The first such meeting had taken place in November last year, seen as the first step to break the ice between the two leaders.

The meeting comes amid speculations that the cricketer-turned-politician might return to Congress. Amarinder Singh had already offered him the Power Ministry portfolio, which has been lying vacant since Sidhu resigned from the Cabinet in July 2019.

Captain Amarinder SinghAccording to sources, Navjot Singh Sidhu is keen to get a key portfolio in the Cabinet. Earlier, he had demanded the Deputy Chief minister's post, which was turned down by Amarinder Singh. Sidhu also wanted to head the state unit of the Congress Party, which was opposed by the present state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and his camp.