After months of infighting within the Punjab Congress, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh submitted his resignation on Saturday, which was accepted by the state Governor. According to sources, the next chief minister of Punjab is likely to be from the Navjot Singh Sidhu-led camp.
Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar could be the first choice for the next chief minister, sources said. Jakhar’s appointment as chief minister could give the Punjab Congress a combination of a Hindu chief minister and Jat Sikh Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president, which might favour the party ahead of the upcoming state assembly election.
However, it is also expected that Navjot Singh Sidhu might himself be projected for the top post since Sunil Jakhar is not an MLA in the Punjab Assembly.
Another name that is doing rounds is that of Fatehgarh Sahib MLA Kuljit Singh Nagra. He was among the leaders from the Sidhu camp who went to receive party observers Ajay Maken and Harish Chaudhary at Chandigarh airport today before the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting.
Meanwhile, two resolutions were passed in the meeting of the Congress Legislative Party in Chandigarh on Saturday. The first resolution was in appreciation of Captain Amarinder Singh-led government’s role in the development of Punjab.
The second resolution stated that Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi would select the new chief minister of Punjab and the legislature members would have to accept the decision.
Source: India Today
