Amarinder Singh Successor May Be Announced Today Amid Flurry Of Meetings

Sources told NDTV that over 50 of the Congress’ 80 MLAs wrote to interim chief Sonia Gandhi demanding that Amarinder Singh be replaced as Punjab Chief Minister

Chandigarh: Poll-bound Punjab will get a new Chief Minister today – a day after a “humiliated” Amarinder Singh resigned, capping a long and bitter feud with Navjot Sidhu that has left the party fighting for control of one of the few states it still rules

Here are the top 10 points in this big story:

A meeting of the Congress Legislature Party has been postponed to 1 pm after Rajya Sabha MP Ambika Soni – believed to be the party’s first choice – declined the offer. Ms Soni said “no” at a late-night meeting with Rahul Gandhi; she stressed on the “ramifications” of a non-Sikh Chief Minister, particularly with an election due.

Today’s CLP meeting will be the second in two days. Aware of its precarious position (and of the BJP, AAP and Akalis waiting to pounce), the Congress is keen to ensure the new Chief Minister has maximum support. Sources said the CLP will only be called after all party MLAs are consulted and a shortlist acceptable to all is drawn up.

Sukhjinder Randhawa, a cabinet minister and the Dera Baba Nanak MLA is being considered, as are ex-state unit bosses Sunil Jakhar and Pratap Singh Bajwa, and Ravneet Singh Bittu, grandson of late former Chief Minister Beant Singh. Sources said a Dalit Sikh Chief Minister and two deputies is one likely formula; Dalits are around 33 per cent of the state population. Sources also said ‘many are upset with the (party’s) handling’ of this crisis.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot – who earlier this year narrowly survived instability in his government – has requested Mr Singh to “keep the interest of the party above all else.” In a lengthy statement issued this morning, Mr Gehlot called on his colleague to “to rise above ourselves and think in the interest of the party and the country”.

Months of sniping and hostility between Amarinder Singh and Navjot Sidhu came to a head late Friday after a sudden meeting of Congress MLAs. Sources told NDTV around 50 of the party’s 80 MLAs wrote to Sonia Gandhi and asked for Mr Singh to be replaced.

A furious Mr Singh then spoke to Mrs Gandhi and told her he had had enough. “I was humiliated three times by Congress leadership in the past two months…they called MLAs to Delhi twice and convened CLP today (Saturday)… they do not have confidence in me… now up to them to appoint anyone they trust,” he said.

The Captain also told NDTV that though he had resigned, “… for the sake of my country, I’ll oppose his (Navjot Sidhu) name for Chief Minister. It’s a matter of national security… is an incompetent man… a total disaster…” Of further worry for the Congress, perhaps, was Mr Singh’s response to staying with the party; “I can’t answer right now.”

The Singh-Sidhu feud dates back to the 2017 Assembly election, when Mr Sidhu hoped to be made Deputy Chief Minister but was reportedly denied the post by Mr Singh. The former cricketer – who joined the Congress after a stint with the BJP – was instead made a minister but quit two years later after his ministry was downgraded.

Mr Sidhu sulked and re-emerged, targeting Mr Singh, becoming a hard-to-ignore problem. The rift escalated sharply in recent weeks, forcing the party into a mediation attempt led by Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat that soured badly after Mr Singh made clear his disapproval at Mr Sidhu being made the Punjab Congress chief.

The tenuous truce further unravelled after controversial statements by Mr Sidhu’s advisers, which Mr Singh condemned. Last month, four ministers and around 24 MLAs raised fresh complaints against Mr Singh, setting the stage for the weekend’s drama.

Courtesy : NDTV

Note: This news piece was originally published in ndtv.com and use purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights objectives.