Punjab Chief Minister Resigns After Congress Loses Election

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday submitted his resignation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit following his party's drubbing in the Assembly polls.

The Charanjit Singh Channi-led cabinet in a virtual meeting in Chandigarh recommended dissolution of the Assembly, paving the way for the constitution of a new cabinet by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The Congress was routed in the polls with AAP taking 92 seats in the 117-member assembly, leaving it with only 18 seats. The AAP sweep decimated the SAD-BSP combine as well. While the Shiromani Akali Dal got three seats, the BJP got two and the BSP just one.

Several stalwarts like Mr Channi, Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu were defeated. Mr Channi lost both seats he contested.

"After calling the cabinet, we recommended the dissolution of the 15th Vidhan Sabha to the governor," Mr Channi told reporters.

"I have tendered my resignation to the governor," said Mr Channi, who went to the Raj Bhawan to hand over his resignation, a day after the election results.

"We accept the verdict of people. We will continue to serve them," added Mr Channi.

To a question whether people did not like his 111-day tenure as the Chief Minister, Mr Channi said he urges the next government to continue the decisions taken by his government such as reduction in electricity rates, slashing of fuel prices besides that of sand and gravel.

"We have urged the new government to continue these decisions, which we took in 111 days," he said.

Mr Channi said people wanted change and voted for it.

"We expect that they (AAP) will live up to the dreams, which they showed to people. We will fully cooperate with the next government," said Mr Channi.

Later, a spokesperson at the Chief Minister's Office said the Punjab governor is authorised to dissolve the state legislature as per sub-clause (b) of clause (2) of Article 174 of the Constitution.

This move being a Constitutional necessity will pave the way for the formation of the 16th Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

At the end of the cabinet meeting, Mr Channi thanked his cabinet colleagues, officers and employees for overall development and maintaining peace and tranquillity in the state during his tenure.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)