New Delhi, July 8
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today said he had not suggested to the party’s Central leadership to do away with the post of Deputy Chief Minister in the state.
The Chief Minister, who met Congress President Sonia Gandhi here this evening, later said the decision about Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal continuing in the post of Deputy Chief Minister and her portfolios would be taken by Ms Gandhi. Congress General Secretary in charge of Punjab Mohsina Kidwai was also present at the meeting.
He said the oath of parliamentary secretaries would take place after he returned to Chandigarh on Saturday. Capt Amarinder Singh is scheduled to meet legal experts in the Capital over the next two days on the SYL canal issue.
Asked about the dropped ministers conveying their displeasure to the party high command, the Chief Minister said some amount of heart-burn was bound to occur in any downsizing. He, however, said those dropped would be “accommodated.”
Capt Amarinder Singh indicated that except for
portfolios of Ms Bhattal, he would decide about reallocation of all other portfolios in the state. The Chief Minister parried questions about the number of parliamentary secretaries to be sworn in but indicated that the Central leadership had not suggested a curtailment. He maintained that the performance of MLAs in their
constituencies in the recent Lok Sabha poll had been a criteria in finalising composition of the new ministry and names for the post of Parliamentary Secretary.
The Chief Minister’s meeting with Ms Gandhi came after Ms Bhattal and the ministers who were dropped recently complained about the “pick and choose” in the reconstitution of the ministry. The Chief Minister arrived here yesterday after postponing the oath ceremony of parliamentary secretaries.
Ms Bhattal, who was first pleading the case of her loyalists, later complained to the high command about attempts to curtail her powers, sources said.
