Dissension in the Punjab Congress came to fore again after six  MLAs from the ruling party shot a joint letter to state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu  objecting to “tainted” former minister Rana Gurjeet Singh’s proposed cabinet birth. The lawmakers cited Rana Gurjeet Singh’s alleged involvement in a mining scandal and demanded the inclusion of a “clean Dalit face” in the cabinet as the state is due for Assembly polls in five months. 

Months of internal rivalry within the the state unit of Congress climaxed with Captain Amarinder Singh‘s resignation as Punjab chief minister on September 18 and Charanjit Singh Channi‘s elevation to the top post. Channi, a minister in the outgoing Cabinet, was chosen by the Congress over several widely-speculated contenders, reportedly after Sidhu’s recommendation.  

ALSO READ: Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi breaks into bhangra in viral video

A copy of the letter was also sent to Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who was elevated to the post after Captain Amarinder resigned from the post following a long-drawn power struggle with Sidhu. Following his resignation on September 18, Amarinder said he had been humiliated three times by the Congress leadership in the past two months.

Channi, who was chosen by the Congress high command over frontrunners such as Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, has visited Delhi thrice since assuming office to discuss the cabinet formation.

A look at new Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh’s old controversies

Rana Gurjeet is among the seven speculated new entrants in  the cabinet, along with Raj Kumar Verka, Kuljit Nagra, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Pargat Singh, Raja Warring, and Surjit Singh Dhiman.

Captain Amarinder loyalists – Brahm Mohindra, Vijendra Singla and Bharat Bhushan Ashu – have been retained while Balbir Sidhu, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Gurmeet Sodhi, SS Arora, and Gurpreet Kangar are likely to lose their ministerial berths.