After Rahul’s exit, uncertainity over Sunil Jakhar’s resignation as Punjab Cong chief

With Rahul Gandhi resigning as AICC president, there is now uncertainty over the resignation of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Sunil Kumar Jakhar, who had tendered his resignation soon after Lok Sabha election results.

There was no word on his resignation from the party high command even over a month after he had sent it to Rahul Gandhi. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh along with other party MLAs had passed a resolution in a subsequent meeting urging on the high command not to accept his resignation. Amarinder had gone to the extent of saying that Jakhar did not need to resign.

Though Jakhar, who was defeated by actor Sunny Deol from Gurdaspur, has stayed away from the political scene in state, he has been signing a few bills of PPCC including the salary of party’s employees in the office. But the party has not taken any political decision after his resignation.

AICC general secretary in-charge Asha Kumari had told The Indian Express earlier that Jakhar continued to be the PPCC chief. She had stated that nobody had accepted his resignation.

But with change of command at the party’s headquarters after Rahul’s resignation, all eyes in Punjab Congress are not only at who is handed over the command, but also what would be Jakhar’s fate.

“It is to be seen as to whether the new president would want all the party units dissolved and want his own team…,” said a party leader.

He added Jakhar’s case was different, “In Punjab, the Congress party has done well by bagging eight seats out of 13 in recent Lok Sabha election. He resigned accepting moral responsibility for his own defeat. But in his case it was not just a defeat. He was the target and an actor was fielded against him. Hence, he should have continued.”

Jakhar has not been seen taking part in any political activity lately. He was a part of recent meeting on solving the underground water crisis being faced by the state. But he has not been seen after that.