CHANDIGARH: The ripples of discontent in the Punjab Congress over the last month’s cabinet expansion are refusing to subside three Congress MLAs Rakesh Pandey, Amrik Singh Dhillon and Randeep Singh Nabha today tendered their resignations from the state assembly committees in protest against being ignored in the recent cabinet expansion of Capt Amarinder Singh’s Government.
Pandey resigned as Chairman of Undertaking committee of Punab Vidhan Sabha, Randeep resigned from the membership of the same committee and Amrik resigned from the chairmanship of the Library Committee of the House. They handed over their resignations to the speaker of the House Rana K P Singh.
They said they would meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi to register their protest and decide the future course of action. They also claimed that no senior state party leader, including the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had heard their grievances. Pandey said that they had resigned because the senior of MLAs was ignored for inducting new ministers in the Punjab cabinet last month.
These three legislators are yet to resign from the party positions.
It may be recalled that earlier three MLAs, Sangat Singh Gilzian from Urmur and Nathu Ram from Balluana and Amargarh MLA Surjit Dhiman had resigned from the party posts to protest against ignoring SC and BC MLAs. Dhiman was vice-president of the Punjab Congress while Nathu Ram was its general secretary. Also two-time MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi Navtej Singh Cheema has also shown resentment against the party over not including him in the state cabinet.
Already most of the 25 SC and OBC MLAs of the ruling party are upset with Amarinder for the step-motherly treatment meted out to them.
In Punjab Congress has a problem of plenty with 77 MLAs. Meanwhile, government is trying to amend the rules of boards and cooptation’s to adjust MLAs as their chairman so they do not attract office of profit clause. The ordinance making amendments to the Punjab Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1952, that prohibits elected representatives from holding any office of profit will be soon brought before the cabinet. With this move, the government aims to placate disgruntled MLAs who have not been bale to make to cabinet. Out of 62-odd boards and corporations, only eight can have an MLA as chairman.