Punjab Congress crisis: Amarinder Singh to step down as CM? CLP meeting to take a call

New Delhi, Sep 18: Just days after the change in the guard in Gujarat BJP, Punjab Congress is reportedly heading for a change in the leadership. Owing to the infighting within the party, Congress has called for a key meeting of its legislators on Saturday at 5 pm.

Congress's Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat, in a late-night tweet on Friday, said that the AICC has received a representation from a large number of MLAs requesting to immediately convene a meeting. He added, "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. @INCIndia @RahulGandhi @INCPunjab @capt_amarinder @sherryontopp, [sic]"

The Punjab Congress is a divided house with two factions - one led by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and the other by Party Chief Navjot Sidhu. Singh is upset with the party for not keeping him in the loop over the sudden CLP meeting and informed the high command that he would quit the Chief Minister's post if the party sidelines him, sources told India Today.

The Sidhu's faction is expected to suggest his name or Sunil Jakhar's name as the leader of the legislative party. A no-confidence motion is expected to be brought by Sidhu's faction against Amarinder Singh.

Harish Chaudhary and Ajay Maken are the central observers.

For months, the central leadership has been trying to descale tension between both the factions in the Punjab Congress. Just two weeks ago, Rawat had indicated that there was no fight among the members but they have strong opinions.

"Punjab is the land of braves. People there put their opinion very strongly there and it looks like they will fight. But, there is nothing like that, and they find solutions to their problems. Punjab Congress is solving their issues themselves. We are not doing anything," the ANI quoted the Congress leader as saying.

In view of the Punjab assembly elections which is scheduled to be held next year, the party might change the guard.

In recent history, the BJP has changed four chief ministers with Vijay Rupani being the latest who recently resigned as the Chief Minister of Gujarat after BS Yediyurappa in Karnataka, Tirath Singh Rawat and Trivendra Singh Rawat in Uttarakhand, and Sarbananda Sonowal in Assam.

However, all replacements have been smooth.