Punjab to have 2 deputy CMs along with Congress leader Sukhjinder Randhawa as CM: Report

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) will appoint two deputy chief ministers in Punjab along with leader Sukhjinder Randhawa as the next chief minister reported ANI, quoting sources. As per the news agency, one deputy CM will be chosen from a Dalit background while another will be a Hindu. 

The party has proposed the name of Sukhjinder Randhawa for the chief ministerial post. "After discussion with the Punjab MLAs, AICC has proposed the name of Sukhjinder Randhawa for the post of CM, a meeting is going on at the residence of Rahul Gandhi with Ambika Soni in Delhi," a source told ANI.

Congress MLA Pritam Kotbhai, while addressing the media in Chandigarh, said all MLAs in Punjab have named Sukhjinder Randhawa for the chief ministerial post before Congress high command. "He will become the chief minister," said Kotbhai.

However, Randhawa, the jails and cooperation minister in the outgoing cabinet, had said earlier on Sunday that he or his family "never hankers for any post".

Upon being asked by reporters if he can be called the next Punjab CM, the legislator had said: “You are talking to a Congressman."

Asked how soon can one expect the name of new CLP leader to be announced, Randhawa said, "We have authorized Congress president in this regard."

On Saturday, the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) had unanimously passed a resolution to give party president Sonia Gandhi power to nominate the new CM of Punjab.

Addressing media after the CLP meeting, Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat said the party has sent two resolutions to the high command which were passed in the Congress Legislative Party meeting.

"We had a tradition of requesting Congress president to elect the Chief Minister. Punjab unit of the party kept the tradition and unanimously passed the resolution asking Sonia Gandhi Ji to chose the new Chief Minister," said Rawat.

Amarinder's Singh resignation 

Hours before resigning as the Punjab chief minister, Amarinder Singh wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, expressing anguish over recent developments and concern that they may cause instability in the state.

Singh had on Saturday written to Gandhi, apprising her of his decision.

He said the political events of the last about five months were "clearly not based on full understanding of the national imperatives of Punjab and its key concerns."

"Notwithstanding my personal anguish, I hope this will not cause any damage to the hard-earned peace and development in the state, and that the efforts I have been focusing on during the last few years would continue unabated, ensuring justice to one and all," Singh wrote.

Congress veteran Singh resigned as chief minister of Punjab months ahead of the assembly polls after a bruising power struggle with state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

After submitting his resignation to the Governor on Saturday, Singh said he felt "humiliated" over the way the party handled the protracted crisis.