Punjab CM Charanjit Channi holds state cabinet meeting

A day after Navjot Singh Sidhu stepped down from the post of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief, state Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday chaired the second meeting of the state cabinet in Chandigarh.

Cabinet Ministers Bharahm Mahindra and Razia Sultana, who tendered their resignation in "solidarity" with, didn't attend the cabinet meeting.

Ahead of the meeting, Punjab Minister Raj Kumar Verka said that the agenda for the day was to take "big decisions regarding electricity".

Further talking about Sidhu's resignation from the post of Punjab Congress chief Verka said, "Sidhu should be with the Congress part and work together. We will resolve the matter in the cabinet meeting today."

Congress MLA Randeep Singh Nabha said that in the cabinet meeting, the party leaders discussed the Punjab crisis and how to resolve it.

"We were not aware of Sidhu's resignation and don't know why he resigned from the post. If party selects new chief then we will accept it," Nabha added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister S Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said that Sidhu should work with the party to strengthen the state government.

Sidhu had tendered his resignation as Punjab Congress chief on Tuesday. A day after resigning, Sidhu, today, stated that he cannot compromise with his ethics, moral authority and pointed out that he didn't want a "repeat of a system of tainted leaders and officers in the state".

Sidhu was appointed as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) on July 23 following months of turmoil in the state Congress unit.

There was a spate of resignations after Sidhu quit. A minister and three Congress leaders, considered close to him, stepped down from their posts delivering.

This comes as a big blow to the Congress high command that was hoping to resolve the turmoil in the Congress unit of Punjab ahead of the Assembly elections early next year.

After the tussle in Punjab Congress between Sidhu and captain Amarinder Singh escalated in August, the party had appointing Sidhu as the Congress chief apparently against the wishes of the Chief Minister.

( With inputs from ANI )