Captain Amarinder Singh to tender resignation as Punjab CM at 4 PM: Sources

In a massive development, Republic TV sources have confirmed that Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is expected to resign at 4 PM today amid the long-drawn tussle in the Punjab Congress. As per sources, Captain Amarinder Singh has called for a meeting with his loyalists at 2 PM at his residence. After the meeting, the CM is expected to go to the Punjab governor's house and tender his resignation at 4 PM, an hour before the scheduled CLP meeting. 

The possibility of Amarinder Singh's resignation came to the fore after Republic TV sources revealed that the Congress party had called for a CLP meeting at 5 PM, for which the Punjab CM was not invited. Ahead of the CLP meeting, sources revealed that Amarinder Singh offered to resign from his post stating that he 'cannot take any more 'humiliation'. He had then called for a meeting with his supporters at 2 PM. The Congress party high command reportedly asked party MLAs to not take part in Captain Amarinder Singh's 2 pm meeting and asked them to be only present for the 5 PM meeting. 

Amarinder Singh to resign at 4 PM

It is being said that the CM had dialled Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and veteran Kamal Nath saying that he was 'a true Congressman at heart' and would do nothing to hurt the party's chances in the Punjab Assembly Elections 2022. He had told Sonia Gandhi that he had accepted all the political changes that happened till now on her word, but now would no longer be able to take such 'humiliation'. This comes amidst the constant back-and-forth between Singh and PPCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. Several MLAs - specifically Sidhu's supporters - have repeatedly attacked the CM, claiming that he was unfit to rule the state. 

Face-off between Amarinder Singh & Sidhu

The tiff between Navjot Singh Sidhu and Captain Amarinder Singh escalated earlier this year after the two fired salvos at each other in public and on social media. This led to an open request by the cricketer-turned-politician for an intervention of the Congress High Command. To end factionalism in the party's Punjab unit, Congress president Sonia Gandhi formed a committee comprising Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge, ex-Delhi MP JP Agarwal, and AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab Harish Rawat on May 28. Since then, the panel met multiple stakeholders including MLAs, ministers and the CM to ascertain their views ahead of the 2022 Assembly Elections. Ignoring Singh's protests, Gandhi appointed Sidhu as the Punjab Congress President on July 18. Despite his appointment, the Congress failed to calm waters in the Punjab Congress, as Sidhu continued attacks against the Captain-led Congress government in the state.