Navjot Sidhu is yet to take charge in his new ministry.

Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu is missing from Congress posters in his home base Amritsar, a sign that local party leaders are distancing themselves from the cricketer-turned-politician who has been locked in a feud with his boss, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

The posters put up by local leaders, congratulating a new chairman of the Amritsar Improvement Trust, have pictures of the Chief Minister and other state leaders. Mr Sidhu, who is a legislator from Amritsar East constituency, is a notable omission.

Mr Sidhu, soon after taking over as the Local Bodies minister two years ago, had sacked the chairpersons of all 28 trusts in the state. Mr Singh, however, appointed chairpersons of four trusts recently.

Mr Sidhu and Amarinder Singh aka "Captain" have never had a smooth relationship. Their rivalry turned into a public spat during the Lok Sabha election when Mr Sidhu accused the Chief Minister of blocking his wife Navjot Kaur's candidature from Amritsar.

He also questioned why no criminal case was registered against former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal over the desecration of Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib and the firing incidents of 2015.

After the Congress won eight of Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats, Amarinder Singh said the party could have done better in the urban areas of the state, especially Bathinda, if not for Navjot Sidhu's remarks.

Barely weeks after the war of words, Mr Singh took away the Local Government portfolio from Mr Sidhu and assigned him Power and New and Renewable Energy Sources.

He also kept Mr Sidhu out of crucial consultative groups to review progress and make changes in the government's flagship programmes and schemes.

The sulking former cricketer and reality show judge is yet to take charge in his new ministry.