Punjab MLAs authorise Sonia Gandhi to select new CLP leader

The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting called here on Saturday to select the successor to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who resigned amid infighting the party on Saturday afternoon, ended with the legislators unanimously passing a resolution authorising interim party President Sonia Gandhi to pick the new leader.

A total of 78 out of the 80 MLAs, barring Amarinder Singh and another member, authorised Sonia Gandhi to pick the new CLP leader, the party's state in-charge Harish Rawat told the media.

"Two resolutions -- one praising Amarinder Singh's contributions towards Punjab and another authorising President Sonia Gandhi to select the new CLP leader -- were unanimously passed," he said.

The party high command had deputed Ajay Maken and Harish Chowdhry as central observers for the CLP meeting along with Rawat.

Amarinder Singh resigned from the post after months of political tussle, saying he stepped down as he felt 'humiliated'. He also said that the "future politics option is always there and I will use that option".