A day after Punjab Chief Minister and Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh resigned from his post, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday, 19 September, requested him to "not harm the party".
"I hope that Captain Amarinder Singh ji will not take any such step which will harm the Congress party. Captain Sahib himself said that the party has made him chief minister and allowed him to continue for nine and a half years. He has served the people of Punjab by working to the best of his capacity and served the people of Punjab," Ashok Gehlot said. He put out a series of tweets a day after Singh resigned as the CM of Punjab.
Congress MLAs of the state passed a resolution allowing the Congress president to name Singh's successor. Punjab is going to polls next year.
"The high command sometimes has to take decisions in the interest of the party on the basis of the feedback received from the MLAs and common people. I personnaly believe that the Congress President selects the chief minister at the risk of inviting the displeasure of several leaders who are in the race," Gehlot wrote.
After the resignation, Singh reportedly told news agency ANI that Sonia Gandhi said 'I am sorry, Amarinder'.
Prior to his resignation, 48 MLAs had reportedly written a letter to the party high command seeking Singh's removal. This led to party in-charge for Punjab Harish Rawat calling a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party. Singh resigned one hour before the meeting.
Gehlot continued, "However when the same CM is changed, he/she is displeased and holds the decision as wrong. One should listen t one's inner voice in such moments. I think that it should be a matter of concern for all the countrymen as to what direction the country is heading towards due to."
The Rajasthan CM said it was important to "rise above ourselves and think in the interest of the country and party."
"Therefore, at such a time, the responsibility of all of us Congressmen increases in the interest of the country. We have to rise above ourselves and think in the interest of the party and the country. Captain Amarinder Singh is a respected leader of the party and I hope that he will continue to work keeping the interests of the party ahead," Gehlot tweeted.
After resigning, Singh had said he was very much a part of the Congress, but felt humiliated.
"I had informed the Congress president today morning that I shall resign. This (a meeting of the MLAs) is happening for the third time in the past few months. The MLAs were called to Delhi the previous two times and this is the third meeting that is being held. I felt that there was an element of doubt upon me that I was not able to run the government or something. But I feel humiliated by the way talks transpired. This happened for the third time, so I decided to resign. They can appoint somebody they trust," Singh had said.
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