Chandigarh: Senior Congress leader and former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday resigned from the membership of Congress party and announced the formation of a new political outfit to contest state Assembly polls.

The former Punjab chief minister has floated a new political outfit

“I have today sent my resignation to Congress President Sonia Gandhi ji, listing my reasons for the resignation. ‘Punjab Lok Congress’ is the name of the new party. The registration is pending approval with the Election Commission of India. The party symbol will be approved later,” Amarinder Singh informed in a tweet.

Singh had quit as the chief minister in September after a power tussle with state Congress chief Navjot Sidhu.

Merely a few days after he stepped down as Punjab Chief Minister, Singh had announced that he would soon be severing ties with the Congress for being subjected to humiliation by the party leadership and had indicated that he will float a political party ahead of Assembly polls in Punjab.

Singh had also dismissed reports of back channel talks with the Congress by categorically satting that it was incorrect and said that the time for rapprochement was over and his decision to leave the grand old party was final.

The former Punjab chief minister has floated a new political outfit — ‘Punjab Lok Congress’ which is pending ECI’s registration.