Punjab: ‘Humiliated’ Captain retires hurt, Sidhu in race to take crease | India News

CHANDIGARH: Push got here to shove for Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday after two months of alleged humiliation by the Congress management admittedly prompted him to resign alongside together with his whole council of ministers, albeit with the caveat that state social gathering chief Navjot Singh Sidhu was unacceptable to him as a potential successor as he can be “a catastrophe”.
Amarinder declared he would not give up politics, however would wait to discover and train his future choices when the time comes.
Whereas a number of names, together with that of Sunil Jakhar, have been doing the rounds, Congress sources mentioned there was a powerful risk of Sidhu changing Captain and was more likely to take oath earlier than the shradh begins.
Amarinder stepped down with a one-line resignation letter to pre-empt what was extensively being seen as a transfer to take away him from the chief ministership via an emergency Congress Legislature Celebration assembly convened by the AICC at 5pm. He met the governor lower than half an hour earlier than the assembly.

“I had decided within the morning. I had a phrase with the Congress president (Sonia Gandhi), and I conveyed it to her that I’ll resign at the moment. ‘I’m sorry, Amarinder,” mentioned Sonia Gandhi after I spoke along with her,” he informed the media after handing his resignation to governor Banwarilal Purohit, nearly six months earlier than meeting elections are due.
“Apparently, they (Congress excessive command) don’t have confidence in me and didn’t suppose I might deal with my job. That is the third time {that a} assembly of social gathering MLAs is being held in just a few months… However I really feel humiliated the best way it has been performed. I made a decision that I’ll step down because the CM they usually might appoint in whom they’ve confidence,” he mentioned. The governor requested Amarinder to proceed in workplace for transaction of routine enterprise until different preparations have been made, mentioned a spokesperson for Raj Bhavan.
Requested if he would settle for whoever Congress selected as the brand new CM, Amarinder mentioned, “I can’t do it (make a dedication) proper now. I’ll now seek the advice of my associates and supporters after which decide. I’ve been in politics for 52 years and remained CM for 9.5 years… They’ve stood by me. I’ll communicate to them after which determine.”
On hypothesis he would possibly even be part of BJP, he mentioned, “Chances are you’ll say no matter you want. I can solely inform you I’ve been a Congress CM, and I’m within the Congress social gathering.”
Sources mentioned Amarinder’s request to cancel the legislature social gathering assembly was not acceded to, prompting him to name it quits. It was speculated that over 40 MLAs who had sought the assembly would go in opposition to him. An emergency assembly of MLAs had been introduced by Harish Rawat late on Friday.
Amarinder was accompanied to Raj Bhavan by his MP spouse Preneet Kaur and son Raninder Singh, together with MPs Gurjeet Singh Aujla and Ravneet Singh Bittu, AG Atul Nanda and chief principal secretary to the CM Suresh Kumar.
Quickly after he give up, Congress MLAs handed a decision authorising social gathering chief Sonia Gandhi to decide on his successor. One other decision thanked the outgoing CM for his contribution. Rawat mentioned after the assembly that in line with Congress custom, it had been unanimously determined that the social gathering president would identify the following legislature social gathering chief.
Aside from Rawat, two observers despatched by AICC — Ajay Maken and Harish Choudhary — arrived in Chandigarh on Saturday afternoon to attend that assembly. Former Uttarakhand CM Rawat, who had mentioned just lately that Congress would struggle for re-election in 2022 beneath Amarinder’s captaincy, mentioned the outgoing CM performed a key function in tackling the challenges dealing with the state.