In what has emerged as a pattern where he projects himself as “a lone warrior fighting for the interests of the state”, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu is yet again at the centre of attention as Lok Sabha elections approach.

In doing so, Sidhu, the cricketer-turned-politician, has again emerged as the Congress’s perennial problem, particularly of the state unit, which has a long history of factionalism, and which had only just started to look like an organised house with state chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa working in tandem.

Sidhu has this time stirred the hornet’s nest by holding parallel events, ignoring the ire of the senior leaders.

Even as newly-appointed Congress in-charge of Punjab Devender Yadav held meetings with leaders and cadre, Sidhu was seen as showcasing his own strength. The former MP skipped all of Yadav’s meetings barring one, and even held a roadshow in Hoshiarpur as Yadav chaired one such meeting.

Despite clarifying that Yadav was informed about his absence as his rallies were planned in advance, Sidhu’s moves have left the rank and file of the Congress fuming.

“Sidhu has had a history of turning against his own partymen. When he was with the BJP, he slammed (then ally) Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia. Upon his entry into the Congress, he unseated Amarinder Singh from the CM’s post and subsequently locked horns with Amarinder’s successor Charanjit Singh Channi. Why did he not walk out of Amarinder’s government if he was unhappy? He also had issues with Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa (who was one of the frontrunners to replace Amarinder). Sidhu also did not see eye-to-eye with former state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and is now trying to destabilise Warring. He just wants to be at the centrestage,” a Congress leader told The Indian Express on the condition of anonymity.

The leader went on to add that Sidhu’s whimsical attitude is not tolerated by state Congress leaders. “Only a handful of spent forces are with him and he does not enjoy the support of any big leader in the state,” he said.

On Monday, the cricketer-turned-politician was conspicuous by his absence at a meeting held by Yadav in Amritsar, the seat he has represented thrice in the Lok Sabha as a BJP MP.

In a bid to downplay the friction, Yadav said: “I see no differences. Everyone wants to strengthen the Congress.” However, Yadav added that action would be taken against any act of indiscipline, irrespective of the stature of the leader.

Warring and Bajwa have not been as diplomatic. While the state Congress chief has said that anyone resorting to indiscipline would be expelled from the party, Bajwa has spoken against holding separate akhare (parallel shows). In an apparent reference to Sidhu, the Leader of the Opposition recently said fingers need to be cut well in time to prevent the spread of gangrene.

The state unit’s misgivings notwithstanding, the former Amritsar MP is seen as having the patronage of the high command, particularly the Gandhi siblings Rahul and Priyanka. Unsurprisingly, he was in the 27-member election panel of the state unit announced by the high command.

However, the state unit has been cracking down on Sidhu’s supporters. The organisers of his most recent rally, in Moga – former MLA Maheshinder Singh and his son Dharampal Singh – have been since suspended from the primary membership of the party for six years “for not keeping the state leadership or district unit of the party in the loop” about the event.

Maheshinder, who accuses Warring of having a “personal issue” with him, has questioned why the Congress had issued no notice to Sidhu and former state Congress chief Laal Singh, who were also present at the rally, but just him and his son. “Na main gira, na meri umeedon ka koyee minaar gira, mujhe giraane ki koshish mein har shaks baar baar gira (Neither I fell, nor the minaret of my hopes. Rather, people have fallen in bids to make me fall),” Maheshinder posted on X on Sunday.

Sidhu’s bete noire Randhawa hit back on X. “Na ham gire, na Congress ka minaar gira, par Congress party ko girane wala har baar anekon baar gira (Neither we fell, nor the Congress’s minaret, but the one who has led to the downfall of the Congress has himself fallen, time and again),” he said in a post in Hindi.