Senior Congress leader Ambika Soni was asked to succeed Amarinder Singh as Punjab chief minister during a late-night meeting with Rahul Gandhi, but the leader has turned down the offer, sources said. The party is likely to announce a new Chief Minister later this afternoon, sources told NDTV.
"A meeting of MLAs was held with Harish Rawat ji and Ajay Maken ji yesterday. A resolution was passed that Sonia Gandhi ji's decision will be final on this matter. Today you will get to know her decision," Pawan Goel, Working President, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Amarinder Singh quit on Saturday following an escalation in the political crisis in the state, which stems from his tussle with Navjot Sidhu. Later, speaking to NDTV, he said he had been "humiliated thrice" and that the Congress is free to "appoint whoever they trust". He also said he would "exercise his options when the time comes".
