NEW DELHI: The Congress is set to spring a BJP-style coup in Punjab with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh asked to step down by the party high command after a majority of 40 state MLAs demanded change of guard in the state ahead of assembly election next year. A new leader is expected to be decided following a meeting of party MLAs this evening.
Congress sources said that the change was required and a letter from 40 Punjab Congress MLAs to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi triggered the move. While names of former Punjab chief Sunil Jakhar, Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu and Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa are in the mix, sources clarified that Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu is out of the race.
“The message has been clearly delivered to Amarinder Singh that he will have to step down as he has lost the confidence of party MLAs. He is trying to keep his flock intact ahead of the meeting of party MLAs. He does not have numbers on his side to pressure to national leadership. Final decision on the name of the CM will be cleared by Congress high command,” said a senior party leader.
Amarinder has called a meeting of MLAs from his camp at 2 pm but the party high command has issued a directive that they should not attend it.
Amidst reports that he has threatened to quit the party, sources said that it looks unlikely as of now.
Late night, AICC incharge for Punjab Harish Rawat tweeted that the Congress Legislature Party has been called Saturday. He was rushed to Punjab along with AICC general secretary Ajay Maken by the party to settle the issue “one for all”.
“The AICC has received a representation from a large number of MLAs from the Congress party, requesting to immediately convene a meeting of the Congress Legislative Party of Punjab. Accordingly, a meeting of the CLP has been convened at 5:00 PM on 18th September at Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee office. AICC directs the PPCC to facilitate this meeting. All Congress MLAs of Punjab are requested to kindly attend this meeting,” he tweeted.
There has been ongoing power tussle between Sidhu and Amarinder Singh and the central leadership has failed to settle it. Despite objections by the Punjab CM, Sidhu was elevated as Congress chief and since then he has been attacking the CM over policies of the state government.
Based on the MLAs demands, Amarinder Singh was given an 18 point action plan to follow ahead of the assembly election.
