Chandigarh: Ahead of the crucial Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting on Saturday, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is reaching the Governor’s house where he may submit his resignation.
“He is meeting the Governor at 4.30 pm,” the Chief Minister’s Media Advisor Raveen Thukral informed in a tweet.
The Chief Minister is expected to address the media outside the Governor’s house.
Earlier in the day, the party’s high command is said to have conveyed to the Chief Minister to resign to enable the election of a new incumbent.
However, the Chief Minister ‘threatened’ to quit the party for being humiliated.
“Amarinder Singh spoke to interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the morning and told her that he is being humiliated and he will resign from the party,” a close confidant of the Chief Minister told IANS.
According to some senior party leaders, the high command has categorically asked Amarinder Singh to step down.
The minute-by-minute changing political development began close to midnight on Friday when Congress’ Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat tweeted about the decision to hold an urgent CLP meeting on Saturday.
About 10 minutes later, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu directed all the MLAs to be present at the CLP meeting.
The announcement by Rawat is being seen as an indication from the high command to appoint a new incumbent under whose helm the party will go to the Assembly polls, slated in March 2022.
Responding to the political developments, former state Congress President Sunil Jakhar tweeted: “Kudos to Sh Rahul Gandhi for adopting Alexandrian solution to this Punjabi version of Gordian knot.
“Surprisingly, this bold leadership decision to resolve Punjab Congress imbroglio has not only enthralled Congress workers but has sent shudders down the spines of Akalis.”
The decision to call the CLP comes in the wake of the fresh letter signed by a majority of legislators, who expressed their dissatisfaction with Amarinder Singh and demanded his removal from the Chief Minister’s post.
Meanwhile, AICC deputed party general secretary Ajay Maken and Harish Chowdhry reached Chandigarh as central observers for the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting slated later on Saturday. Harish Rawat is also reaching here.
(IANS)