Chandigarh, Mar 12: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today submitted his resignation to Governor V P Singh Badnore following his party's defeat in the assembly polls.
The 89-year-old Akali leader along with deputy chief minister and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal went to the Raj Bhawan and handed over the resignation letter to the Governor, a Raj Bhawan spokesman said.
Badal, a five-time Chief Minister, retained his Lambi Assembly seat defeating Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh. However Amarinder retained his traditional bastion Patiala seat.
The SAD-BJP alliance finished a poor third at the hustings with the combine managing just 18 seats in the 117-member House. SAD won 15 seats while its ally BJP won three.New entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 20 seats.
Congress by bagging 77 seats, one short of two-thirds majority swept Punjab and ended the ten year regime of the Badals.
Earlier, Badal held a cabinet meeting in which a resolution was passed to dissolve the Assembly.
Among others who attended the meeting include Sukhbir Singh Badal, N K Sharma and Madan Mohan Mittal.
The Punjab Cabinet decided to recommend the dissolution of the 14th Punjab Vidhan Sabha under the provision of Article 174 (2) (b) of the Constitution, to the Punjab Governor, an official spokesman said.
A decision to this effect was taken in the meeting of Council of Ministers chaired by Badal here at Punjab Bhawan, the spokesman said.
"The Cabinet authorised the Chief Minister to send this proposal to the Governor of Punjab for dissolution of 14th Vidhan Sabha with immediate effect," he said.
After meeting the governor, Badal told the media that his party's fight on the issue of SYL will continue.
Sukhbir said that as a responsible opposition, SAD will offer support to the Congress government on all matters which are in the interests of Punjab.
"I congratulate Captain for the Congress win," he said adding that, "we will introspect why the SAD lost despite doing lot of development works."
The Chief Minister expressed his sincere and deepest gratitude to his Cabinet colleagues, officers, officials and the people of the state for extending full support and cooperation to the incumbent government during its tenure to ensure overall development and prosperity besides maintaining peace and communal harmony at all costs.
The Council of Ministers thanked the people of state for their support and cooperation during the last decade for upholding the ethos of peace and communal harmony besides ensuring all round development of the state.
The Cabinet passed a resolution which read, "The last decade saw Punjab becoming a power surplus state, from a power deficit one thereby relieving the people from power cuts besides developing a world class infrastructure along with international airports and perpetuating the glorious legacy of state through beautification of Sri Amritsar Sahib."
"Punjab emerged as a leading state during the last ten years where free power facility was given to farmers, dalits and weaker sections of society, Atta-Dal scheme for economically poor strata, scholarship schemes for students, free health care facilities and huge monetary relief for cancer victims," the resolution said.
Farmers and poor section was provided exemplary facilities which are not available to them in any part of the country.
New era of congenial relations between Centre and state was started due to which Punjab was immensely benefited by Central relief, it said.
During the last ten years utmost attention was given towards securing the interests of the state.
Despite mounting pressure, nobody was allowed to rob even a single drop of water of the state, the resolution said.
"Even the genesis of SYL canal was decimated by de-notifying the land acquired for this canal and giving it back to the original owners," the resolution said.
Several path breaking initiatives were taken for welfare of urban and rural populace. The state government foiled the plans of divisive forces to ignite communal violence in the state and upheld communal harmony, peace and amity at every cost.
"Even the ugly head of conspiracy hatched from foreign land to disturb hard earned peace of the state was crushed with heavy hand," the resolution said.
The Cabinet also expressed gratitude to the police and civil administrative set-up, all government, semi government and other organisations for their support and cooperation during last decade.
The meeting also prayed to God that Punjab should scale new heights of glory in coming days and may this atmosphere of peace and development carry on in the state.
The meeting reiterates its faith and extends full support and cooperation to the new government for safeguarding the rights and interests of the state.
It also extends best wishes to the new Government and Punjabis.
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