The decision comes two days after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet, which authorised Sonia Gandhi to undertake “necessary and comprehensive” organisational changes…reports Asian Lite News
A day after Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi asked state party presidents to put in their papers, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday resigned from the post.
The party suffered massive defeats in five states which went to polls in February and March.
Randeep Surjewala, General Secretary of the party said, “Congress President, Sonia Gandhi has asked the PCC Presidents of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa & Manipur to put in their resignations in order to facilitate reorganisation of PCCs.”
Others who have been asked to resign include Ganesh Godiyal (Uttarakhand), Nameirakpam Loken Singh (Manipur), Ajay Kumar Lallu (UP) and Girish Chodankar (Goa).
The decision comes two days after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet, which authorised Sonia Gandhi to undertake “necessary and comprehensive” organisational changes.
“The CWC unanimously reaffirms its faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and requests the Congress President to lead from the front, address the organisational weaknesses, effect necessary and comprehensive organisational changes in order to take on the political challenges,” the CWC resolution had said.
One-line letter
In a one-line resignation to party President Sonia Gandhi, Sidhu wrote, “I hereby resign as President (PPCC).”
The AAP came to power by sweeping the Assembly polls with a three-fourths majority as heavyweights fall by wayside.
Sidhu, once a Chief Minister aspirant, faced defeat from his stronghold Amritsar (East) seat.
He was locked in a high-profile contest with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia but faced defeat from the hands of AAP greenhorn candidate Jeevanjyot Kaur, who defeated him by a margin of 6,750 votes.
Low-profile hygiene activist Kaur, who believed in door-to-door connect with electorate, emerged as the ‘giant slayer’ by showing the door to two political heavyweights — Sidhu and Majithia, who were busy in mudslinging against each other.
In 2017, cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu not only defeated his BJP rival Rajesh Honey with a big margin of over 42,000 votes but also played a role of a game-changer for the party by winning 10 out of 11 seats in Amritsar district, once the citadel of the SAD-BJP combine.
Sidhu is a three-time Amritsar MP from the BJP. In 2014 he “sacrificed” this seat for his ‘guru’ Arun Jaitley. Later he was adjusted in the Rajya Sabha by the BJP but not finding a bigger role in Punjab, he quit the party and resigned from Parliament.
ALSO READ-Unrest begins in Congress
