Punjab Governor also accepts Navjot Singh Sidhu's resignation, CM Captain Amarinder Singh to take over Power portfolio for time being

Navjot Singh Sidhu has formally departed from the Punjab Cabinet after both, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, and now the Governor VPS Badnore accepted his one-line resignation. 

The Governor accepted the resignation hours after it was forwarded to him by the Chief Minister. 

The Power portfolio, previously held by Sidhu, will be held by Captain Amarinder Singh for the time being, according to an official spokesperson.  

READ| Can't Help If Navjot Singh Sidhu Doesn't Want To Do His Job: Amarinder Singh

The chief minister earlier, in Delhi, had said that he would see the resignation letter, which was received at his Chandigarh residence during his absence and then take a decision. Moreover, he spoke about the situation with Sidhu after he switched his portfolio from Tourism to Power ministry saying that it was one of the most important ministries in the state.

"In October paddy season will be on, (but) Punjab has not received even one shower of rain. Every day I receive a question that what is the situation of Power ministry of the state. Now, that is the job of the minister to do but he has not done it. Yesterday, I am told that he has given his resignation to the Congress president, today I was told that it has been delivered to my house," he said.

Sidhu had sent his resignation on June 10 to the former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and tweeted about the same a month later. Capt Singh also added that Sidhu did not send him the resignation when it was sent to Gandhi in June as claimed by the former cricketer turned politician. "He had never sent it to me. He has now sent it to me at my house in Chandigarh. Let me read it first before deciding on it. He can send it to the Congress president after all Congress president decides who should be in the cabinet or not, even my cabinet ministry. Sidhu was taken in (the cabinet) as it was decided in Delhi. 

Thereafter he had tweeted that he would formally send his papers to the Chief Minister, in whose cabinet he had been allocated the Power Ministry as part of a reshuffle post the Lok Sabha elections. He finally sent his resignation to Captain Amarinder’s official residence while the latter was in Delhi.

(With agency inputs)