‘Amarinder Singh’s Resignation Sign Of Congress’ Decline In Punjab’: Opposition
Captain Amarinder Singh’s (retd) resignation as Punjab chief minister on Saturday has brought the focus back on infighting in the Congress party with experts and political rivals suggesting the move could hurt the grand old party’s prospects in the upcoming assembly elections in the state.
Considered by many to be the Congress party’s principal challenger in 2022 Punjab polls, the Aam Aadmi Party said the Congress was similar to a “sinking Titanic ship”. In a video message posted on Twitter, AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha said, “Governance in the state of Punjab has been the biggest casualty in the Congress’ Game of Thrones.”
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh claimed the Congress was near its “end” in Punjab, and that AAP will be the biggest beneficiary of this possible outcome, India Today reported.
He also mocked the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress for recent changes of chief ministers in party-ruled states. “We change our politics; BJP, Congress change their chief ministers,” he said.
BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh said Amardinder Singh’s resignation was result of a “panic reaction” by the Congress brass to salvage the party’s situation ahead of the Assembly polls next year. “The Congress in Punjab is licking the dust to revive itself,” he stated.
“The mafia raj of the Congress in Punjab would prove to be the last nail in its coffin in Punjab,” Chugh added.
Union minister and BJP MP from Punjab Som Prakash said Singh’s resignation showed that the Congress was “desperate”.
“The Congress is in decline, Akalis have lost the trust of people, so we are hopeful that people of Punjab will give opportunity to the BJP which can give a stable and progressive government in the state,” PTI quoted him as saying.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) (Sanyukt) leader Parminder Singh Dhindsa said Singh was made a “scapegoat” by the Congress to save the party from allegations of non-fulfilment of promises. “The whole drama was only to put the blame of non-fulfilment of promises on Amarinder Singh,” he said.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah took to Twitter to criticise the Congress. “I guess it’s too much to expect [from] the Congress to take the fight to the BJP when its state leaders are too busy fighting amongst themselves,” he wrote.
He added, “Ordinarily, I wouldn’t give a toss about the fratricide in the Congress party – their party, their business. However, what the Congress does has direct fallout for every political party outside the NDA orbit because almost 200 Lok Sabha seats see a direct BJP-Congress fight.”
Haryana health minister Anil Vij went on to blame Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu for Amarinder Singh’s resignation and claimed “its script was written the same day Navjot Singh Sidhu entered the Congress.”