'Have Declined the Offer, Punjab CM Must Be a Sikh': Ambika Soni

The Congress is expected to announce the name of Amarinder Singh's successor today.

File photo of senior Congress leader Ambika Soni.

(Photo: PTI)

Member of Parliament (MP) and senior Congress leader Ambika Soni has turned down the offer to become Punjab chief minister after Captain Amarinder Singh resigned from the post on Saturday, 18 September.

Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Soni said, "I have declined the offer. I believe Punjab CM face should be a Sikh."

She also added that the deliberations on who should be appointed the next chief minister are going on in Chandigarh, where the general secretary and observers are taking the view of all the Punjab MLAs into account.

Soni, who has served as the minister of Information and Broadcasting in Manmohan Singh’s government, was emerging as one of the front runners for the top post in the state. However, with the denial, she has not put the speculations to rest.

Earlier yesterday, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) passed a resolution authorising Sonia Gandhi to decide the next chief minister. The party is likely to make the announcement on Sunday.

The other names in the fray are those of jails minister in the outgoing Cabinet Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sunil Jakhar, and Pratap Singh Bajwa.