Punjab Guv Banwarilal Purohit Resigns, Citing Personal And Other Commitments

In a sudden development, Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Banwarilal Purohit on Saturday submitted his resignation, citing "personal reasons and certain other commitments."

In a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, he cited 'personal reasons and certain other commitments.'

"Due to my personal reasons and certain other commitments, I tender my resignation from the post of the Governor of Punjab and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh. Please accept the same and oblige," his letter read.

Purohit, a former leader of both the Congress and the BJP, also held gubernatorial posts in Assam, Meghalaya (additional charge) and Tamil Nadu.

On Friday, Purohit had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Purohit is also the administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

The meeting came days after the BJP swept the Chandigarh mayoral polls, retaining all three posts, a setback to the Congress-AAP alliance which alleged tampering with ballot papers by the presiding officer.

On Wednesday, a division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court denied interim relief to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which alleged that ballot papers had been tampered with. The party had sought fresh polls under the supervision of a retired judge of the court.

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider an AAP councillor's request seeking urgent hearing of his plea challenging the high court order that refused to grant any interim relief to the party seeking fresh mayoral polls in Chandigarh.