Amarinder Singh Quits As Punjab Chief Minister Amid Rift In Congress, Says 'Humiliated'

Amarinder Singh on Saturday quit as Punjab Chief Minister amid a rift in the Congress party.  His resignation comes ahead of the much crucial Punjab Assembly elections 2022.

"I feel humiliated...," Amarinder Singh told reporters. He also said he and his supporters will later decide  their future course of action.

Singh submitted his resignation along with that of his council of ministers, his media advisor said.

“..@capt_amarinder has met Punjab Governor and submitted his and his council of ministers’ resignation. He will address the media at the Raj Bhavan gate in a few minutes from now,” his media advisor said on Twitter.

"The thing is that this is the third time the party called the MLAs. You have an element of doubt on me.... I feel humiliated," Singh told reporters.

"I have resigned," he said, adding that the Congress can make anyone the leadership trusts the chief minister.

Asked about his future course of action, he said, "As far as my future politics is concerned, there is always an option and I will use that option when time comes."

"I am in the Congress party. I will talk to my supporters and decide future course of politics," he said.

Singh said he decided this morning to resign from his post and that he had spoken to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and informed her about his decision.

Singh was accompanied by his wife and MP Preneet Kaur and son Raninder Singh when he submitted his resignation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit.

"I am proud to accompany my father to Raj Bhawan when he submits his resignation as CM of Punjab and leads us as head of our family into a new beginning," Raninder Singh said in a tweet earlier.

The name of new faces to replace Captain are Sunil Jakhar, former PCCC president, Sukhjinder Randhawa, Cabinet Minister and Partap Bajwa, MP.

Earlier, sources had confirmed that the party high command asked Capt Amrinder Singh to quit as CM. Congress high command asked the Captain to keep away from the meeting of CLP. AICC has called up Punjab CLP (Congress legislative party) meeting today at 5 pm at Punjab congress headquarter,Chandigarh. Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat late Friday night announced that a Congress legislative party meeting will be held on Saturday at the PPCC headquarters in Chandigarh.

Rawat took to microblogging site Twitter to make the announcement. “The AICC has received a representation from a large number of MLAs from the Congress party, requesting to immediately convene a meeting of the Congress Legislative Party of Punjab.

Earlier, sources had also confirmed that Capt. Spoke to senior leader and former incharge of Punjab congress Kamal Nath, to convey his message to party high command that he would quit the party if he is  removed as CM. The AICC received a representation from a large number of MLAs from the congress party, requesting to immediately convene a meeting of the Congress Legislative Party of Punjab. Rawat said that the AICC has directed PPCC to facilitate the meeting. “All Congress MLAs of Punjab are requested to kindly attend this meeting,’’ added Rawat. Minutes later, the Punjab Congress chief also took to Twitter to inform about the meeting. 

At least 40 legislators had written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi seeking a CLP meeting to chalk out a strategy for the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections, scheduled to be held in early 2022. Sources said that the legislators, through the letter, also informed the president that they would discuss the party high command’s 18-point agenda given to the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. Sources said apart from Harish Rawat, two party observers from Delhi Harish Chaudhary and Ajay Maken would also reach Chandigarh to attend the meeting.