Punjab crisis updates | September 18, 2021

MLAs authorise Sonia Gandhi to pick new Punjab CLP leader.

September 18, 2021 05:26 pm | Updated 09:06 pm IST

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh speaks to the media outside the Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh on September 18, 2021 after submitting his resignation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh speaks to the media outside the Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh on September 18, 2021 after submitting his resignation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday resigned from his position amid the ongoing infighting in State unit of the party, saying he felt humiilated.  

Ahead of the crucial Congress Legislative Party of Punjab meeting convened by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on September 18, Capt. Amarinder handed over his resignation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit.

Chandigarh

Governor accepts Amarinder Singh's resignation

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit Saturday accepted Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's resignation.

The Governor, however, has asked him and his council of ministers to continue in office for the transaction of routine business till alternative arrangements are made, according to an official statement.

"Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit accepted his (Amarinder) resignation and that of his council of ministers," said the statement.

Earlier in the day, Capt. Amarinder submitted his resignation along with that of his council of ministers.

"I, hereby, tender my resignation as Chief Minister, and that of my Council of Ministers," the one-line resignation letter said

Chandigarh

Punjab Congress Legislative Party passes two resolutions

Punjab Congress MLAs on Saturday authorised party president Sonia Gandhi to pick new CLP leader, on a day Amarinder Singh resigned as the state chief minister.

A resolution to this effect was passed unanimously in a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party here.

Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken, who was one of the two central observers deputed by the party, told reporters that 78 of 80 party MLAs were present in the meeting.

He said another resolution praising and thanking Amarinder Singh for his contribution towards Punjab and the Congress was also unanimously passed at the meeting.

"We expect that the party will continue to get guidance of Amarinder Singh," he said..

Jammu and Kashmir

It's too much to expect Cong to fight BJP when its state leaders busy in infighting: Omar

It is too much to expect the Congress to take the fight to the BJP when its state leaders are too busy fighting amongst themselves, National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah said on Saturday after the resignation of Amarinder Singh as Punjab Chief Minister.

Mr. Abdullah, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said the Congress party's actions have a direct impact on every political party outside the BJP-led National Democratic Allaince (NDA) as almost 200 Lok Sabha seats see a direct contest between the Congress and the BJP.

In a series of tweets, he said, "I guess it's too much to expect the Congress to take the fight to the BJP when its state leaders are too busy fighting amongst themselves." "Ordinarily I wouldn't give a toss about the fratricide in the Congress party - their party, their business. However what the Congress does has a direct fallout for every political party outside the NDA orbit because almost 200 Lok Sabha seats see a direct BJP - Cong fight," he added.

Congress veteran Amarinder Singh on Saturday resigned as the chief minister of Punjab, capping months of a power tussle that had polarised the ruling party in the state headed for elections in just about four months.

New Delhi

Governance in Punjab biggest casualty in Cong's 'Game of Thrones': AAP

Governance in Punjab has been the biggest casualty in the Congress party's 'Game of Thrones', the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said on Saturday after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh resigned following months of a power tussle in the ruling party.

In a video message, AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha said the issues of Punjab have been put on the back burner amid a power struggle in the ruling party.

"Congress has cheated the people of Punjab. They do not care about the welfare of Punjab, but their own personal happiness. Congress is a drowning Titanic that neither has vision nor commitment or performance," Mr. Chadha said in Punjabi.

He tweeted, "Governance in the state of Punjab has been the biggest casualty in Congress's 'Game of Thrones'." Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday resigned as chief minister of Punjab, capping months of a power tussle that had polarised the ruling party in the state headed for elections in just about four months.

"I feel humiliated...," Capt. Amarinder told reporters outside the Punjab Raj Bhawan after submitting his resignation to the governor

Profile of Amarinder Singh

 

Amarinder Singh: The man who put Cong back on saddle in Punjab

One of the strongest regional satraps of the Congress, Amarinder Singh was the leader who put the party back in the saddle in Punjab after an intensely fought poll battle that decimated the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and crushed the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) dream of expanding its footprint beyond Delhi.

The 79-year-old widely respected and popular leader steered the Congress in 2017 to a landslide victory in the 117-member assembly to occupy the chief minister's post for the second time.

The 'maharaja's' win in Punjab after 10 years had also rekindled the hopes for the revival of the grand old party.

But now all seems not well in the party's state unit as over 50 MLAs have written to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi seeking that Singh be replaced as chief minister, a development that comes just about four months ahead of assembly elections in the state.

Capt. Amarinder has now decided to quit from the post of chief minister.

Belonging to a very rare breed of politicians who have seen action in the Indo-Pak war, Capt. Amarinder tasted success in the 2017 polls after Akali Dal supremo Parkash Singh Badal foiled his previous attempts to become chief minister in 2007 and 2012.

Navjot Singh Sidhu joined the Congress a few months ahead of the polls after quitting the BJP. Speculation was rife that he would be given the post of deputy chief minister, but he was made a Cabinet Minister. Relations between him and the chief minister were never warm.

Just two years after the Congress came to power, Mr. Sidhu was stripped off key portfolios in the cabinet reshuffle in June 2019 and he then resigned from the state cabinet.

Capt. Amarinder had divested Sidhu of the local government and tourism and cultural affairs departments and allotted him the power and new and renewable energy portfolio though the latter never assumed charge of his new department.

Chandigarh

Captain Amarinder Singh resigns as Punjab Chief Minister

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday quit from his position amid the ongoing infighting in state unit of the party, saying he felt humiilated.  

Ahead of the crucial Congress Legislative Party of Punjab meeting convened by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on September 18, Capt. Amarinder handed over his resignation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit.   

“I have resigned from the post of Chief Minister. I spoke to the party president and conveyed that I shall be resigning in the morning itself. The point is that it was the third time in the past few months that MLAs are being summoned to Delhi (by party central leadership), it gives an impression of element of doubt upon me for not being able to run (the government), but I feel humiliated the way thing have gone,” said Capt. Amarinder, after submitting his resignation here. 

"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," he 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.

 

New Delhi

Sonia Gandhi has spoken to Amarinder Singh

Congress president Sonia Gandhi is learnt to have spoken to Punjab Chief Minister Captain (Retd) Amarinder Singh after nearly 40 MLAs wrote to the All India Congress Committe (AICC) to seek a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP).

Though there is no official word from the party, sources told The Hindu that the option of Capt. Amarinder stepping down from his post gracefully may have come up in the discussion.

Once considered among the most powerful Congress leaders, the erosion of support for the Punjab Chief Minister has been swift and almost overnight.

 

Chandigarh

CLP meeting

In yet another attempt to resolve the ongoing infighting within party’s Punjab unit , the All India Congress Committee (AICC) had decided to hold a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) of Punjab on September 18.

The decision comes days after close to 40 MLAs wrote to the party’s central leadership against Chief Minister Captain (Retd) Amarinder Singh , alleging that hardly anything was being done towards fulfilment of the 18-point programme issued by the party high command. They had demanded a meeting of the CLP.

Ludhiana

Amarinder Singh demands scrapping of farm laws

Punjab Chief Minister Captain (Retd.) Amarinder Singh on Friday demanded immediate scrapping of the three farm laws enacted by the Centre, while calling for detailed discussions with farmers to find a way forward.

Pointing out that many farmers had died over the course of the ongoing protests against the laws, the Chief Minister said it was “high time the Central government realised its blunder and withdrew the legislations in the interests of the farmers and the nation”.

The Chief Minister was speaking as he inaugurated the third State-level virtual “Kisan Mela” (farmer fair) organised by the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.

 

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