Amarinder Singh, who stepped down as Chief Minister on Saturday following an escalation in the state’s political crisis caused by a bitter feud with rival Navjot Singh Sidhu, refused to accept his party colleague as his successor and left the door open to leaving the Congress.
“For the sake of my country, I will vote against his (Navjot Singh Sidhu’s) nomination for Punjab Chief Minister. It is an issue of national security. Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, is a friend of his. Sidhu is friends with Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa “Mr Singh stated to NDTV.
“Navjot Singh Sidhu is an inept individual. He was a complete disaster in my administration. He couldn’t manage even one of the ministries I assigned to him. For seven months, he did not clear files “Captain, the former Chief Minister, was quoted as saying.
In an interview with ANI, he also revealed what Congress President Sonia Gandhi told him after he called her this morning to say he was quitting because he had been humiliated. “‘I am sorry Amarinder,’ said Congress President Sonia Gandhi after I spoke with her this morning about my resignation,” he said.When asked if he planned to stay in Congress, the 79-year-old replied, “I can’t answer that right now.”
Declaring that he had been humiliated for the third time, Congress veteran Amarinder Singh resigned as Chief Minister of Punjab on Saturday, closing one chapter of dissent but opening another of uncertainty for the ruling party in the state, which is set to hold elections in about four months.
Amarinder Singh, one of the Congress’ most powerful regional satraps, resigned after meeting with party president Sonia Gandhi and shortly before a crucial Congress Legislature Party meeting.
“The problem is that this is the third time the party has contacted the MLAs. You have some reservations about me… I’m embarrassed, “After submitting his resignation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit, he told reporters outside the Punjab Raj Bhawan.
Over 50 MLAs in the party reportedly wrote to Ms Gandhi requesting that Amarinder Singh be removed as chief minister, capping months of a fractious feud between him and Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was recently appointed state Congress president much against the senior leader’s wishes. In the 117-member state assembly, the Congress has 80 MLAs.
