'Want to focus on U'khand': Rawat seeks to be divested of Punjab charge

New Delhi, Aug 27 (IANS) Amid intense infighting in the Congress' Punjab unit, party General Secretary in-charge of the state Harish Rawat want to be relieved from the assignment as he wants to focus on the upcoming elections in home state Uttarakhand.

Rawat is meeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday to apprise of him of the situation in Punjab and the issue could likely come up during the discussion.

Asked about the reason for seeking to be relieved of the charge of Punjab, he said he wants to focus on his state as Uttarakhand is going for polls too early next year, at same time as Punjab.

Rawat has been facing tough task to balance both sides in Punjab as state unit President Navjot Singh Sidhu and Chief Minister Amarinder Singh are at loggerheads.

Recently, rebel legislators reached Dehradun to apprise Rawat about the "mood of the public" against the Amarinder Singh-led government in the state. Around 20-odd party legislators have been demanding replacement of Amarinder Singh, claiming he failed to fulfil the 2017 poll promises.

Rawat had told the media that Amarinder Singh had welcomed the appointment of Sidhu and the decision was not taken without the CM's approval.

"We have given the party leadership to Sidhu, not the Congress to him," he said on moves to change the Chief Minister ahead of the Assembly polls slated in early 2022.