Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh to resign before CLP meeting this evening

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh will resign ahead of the crucial Congress Legislature Party meeting in Chandigarh on Saturday evening, sources close to him said.

The CM will address the press at Punjab Raj Bhavan at 4.30 pm.

The resignation is only from the post of the CM and not from the Congress.

Sources said the decision was taken at a meeting of MLAs close to him at his official residence in Chandigarh after 2 pm.

Earlier, hectic political activity was witnessed in the Punjab Congress hours before AICC-appointed observers Harish Chaudhary and Ajay Maken and Punjab Affairs incharge Harish Rawat arrived in Chandigarh to hold a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party.

The agenda of the CLP meeting is to choose the new CLP leader in place of Amarinder. The MLAs are likely to approve a single-line agenda authorising party president Sonia Gandhi to elect the new leader.

The new leader is likely to be elected today itself. The names doing the rounds are those of Sunil Jakhar and Partap Bajwa with Jakhar being the frontrunner.

Meanwhile, the Punjab ministers and MLAs attending the CM’s meeting at his residence are ministers Brahm Mohindra, Rana Sodhi, Vijayinder Singla and Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Khadoor Saheb MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikki, Baba Bakala MLA SS Bhlaipur, Raj Kumar Chabbewal, MLA Fateh Jung Bajwa, MLA Tarsem DC, Yoginder Pal, Rakesh Pandey, Ajaib Singh Bhatti, HS Ajnala and Rajinder Singh.

TNS