‘Feel humiliated’: Amarinder resigns as Punjab CM, to decide future course after talking to supporters

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 18

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday resigned citing humiliation by the party and said he had conveyed his lament to Congress president Sonia Gandhi in a phone call.

“I called Sonia Gandhi and told her I am resigning. The thing is—this is the third time in a few months that they called the MLAs. You have any element of doubt in me. I feel humiliated the way things were handled,” said Singh whose tenure as CM lasted nine and a half years.

Singh made it clear that he had resigned as CM but not from the party.

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He said he would decide the future course of action in consultation with friends and supporters.

“In two months, the party had called MLAs thrice. I decided to quit and now they can name as CM anyone they want,” said Singh flanked by supporters, including son Raninder Singh, outside the Punjab Raj Bhawan.

Singh said future politics is always an option.

“I will now work with my friends and supporters, talk to them and decide the future course of action,” he said, announcing a pause but not a full stop to his 52-year-long political career.

Amarinder will not attend the 5 pm CLP meeting at Punjab Congress office where AICC observers Ajay Maken and Harish Chowdhry will oversee the election of a new leader.

Moments after Amarinder quit, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah tweeted, “I guess it’s too much to expect the Congress to take the fight to the BJP when its state leaders are too busy fighting amongst themselves.”

Governor accepts

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit Saturday accepted the resignation but asked Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and his council of ministers to continue in office for the transaction of routine business till alternative arrangements are made, according to an official statement.

"Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit accepted his (Amarinder) resignation and that of his council of ministers," said the statement.

--- With PTI

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