BJP counters Congress' claims of Amarinder Singh's waning popularity

Amarinder Singh resigned from the post of the chief minister on Saturday evening, just five months before Punjab heads for polls.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pralhad Joshi hit out at the Congress over Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s resignation, alleging that Singh’s growing popularity was the reason behind his “removal”.

Amarinder Singh has also been locked in a tussle with former BJP legislator Navjot Singh Sidhu (ANI)

“They've (Congress) removed him because they were apprehensive that he was growing more popular than Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi,” Joshi told reporters on Sunday.

Singh resigned from the post of the chief minister on Saturday evening, just five months before Punjab heads for polls. Contrary to what Joshi claimed, sources within the Congress told Hindustan Times that Singh’s waning influence among party MLAs and his former advisor Prashant Kishore’s warning to Congress on the party tailing Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab influenced the Grand Old Party’s decision to make changes in the order of business. Singh, the source claimed, has also become unpopular among the farmers in Punjab.

Singh has also been locked in a tussle with former BJP legislator Navjot Singh Sidhu, and experts opined that Sidhu’s appointment as the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief in July despite Singh’s strong objection signalled the former chief minister’s influence was waning.

Joshi also criticised Congress for questioning the ruling party, insisting that responding to their questions is not worth it. “People who're stuck in such a deep mess are questioning us. It's not worth reacting to them,” he added.

News agency ANI reported on Sunday that veteran Congress leader Ambika Soni was offered the post of the chief minister but she turned it down citing health issues. Sidhu, former Punjab Congress unit chiefs Sunil Jakhar, and Pratap Bajwa are currently the top choices in the race to replace Singh.