Rana Gurjit’s resignation accepted after Amarinder meets Rahul in Delhi

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 18

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday accepted the resignation of Power and Irrigation Minister Rana Gurjit Singh from the Council of Ministers.

The Chief Minister disclosed this during a brief interaction with mediapersons after meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi here.

Amarinder said he had discussed the issue of the resignation, which the minister had submitted 10 days ago, with Rahul and then decided to accept it. The Chief Minister said he would now forward it to the Governor.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

In his resignation, Rana Gurjit had said that though he had not been associated with his family business for the past 10 years, the controversy surrounding it in recent months had left him with no option but to tender his resignation in the interest of his party. He did not want the issue to mar the good work done by the Congress government in Punjab and had, in the larger interest of his party and government, chosen to step down, he said.

Read: I am not selfish; party’s interest is priority: Rana Gurjit

To another question, the Chief Minister said he had also discussed with Rahul the issue of reorganisation of the Punjab unit of the Congress. The party restructuring, especially in context of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, would take place soon, he added.

Amarinder said the expansion of his cabinet would take place after the Ludhiana MC polls. As in the past, the new appointments would be a mix of youth and talent, with meritocracy the key criterion in the selection of the new ministers, he told the media.