Embattled Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh stepped down from his post on Saturday ahead of the meeting of party legislators in the faction-ridden state unit as the party high command decided to effect a change of guard in the border state ahead of assembly polls early next year.
The Chief Minister went to meet Governor Banwari Lal Purohit to hand over his resignation. The move came as factionalism again surfaced in the state unit with sections opposed to him requesting a meeting of Congress Legislature Party.
The tussle between the leaders scooped in August when Congress High Command relented to rebel MLA Najot Singh Sidhu’s demands and appointed him the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee replacing Sunil Jakhar, despite Chief Minister’s apprehension.
In order to balance the power between Amarinder Singh and Sidhu, Congress appointed four Working presidents to the state unit – Sangat Singh Gilzian, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Pawan Goel, and Kuljit Singh Nagra. Sidhu later, once again rallied up the Chief Minister, demanding him to fulfil the 18 points promised by the Congress ahead of polls in February 2022.
Earlier on September 2, Congress Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat said that all is not well with the Congress party in the state and had admitted that there were still some issues that are being resolved.
On September 8, Rawat had told ANI that the people assume party leaders in Punjab are fighting because the ”brave” leaders put forward their opinion strongly.
Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Charanjit Singh Channi and three-party legislators, who wanted Amarinder Singh to be replaced, had gone to Dehradun to meet Rawat on August 25.
