Amarinder appointed Punjab Congress chief

New Delhi, Nov 27  Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday appointed former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh as the state party chief ahead of the 2017 assembly elections.

A party statement said former union minister Ambika Soni will be the chairman of the campaign committee for the assembly polls.

Congress legislator Sadhu Singh Dharamsot will be its vice-chairman and Ravneet Singh Bittu, MP, its convenor. 

"Consequent upon the resignation of Partap Singh Bajwa from the presidentship of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Sonia Gandhi has appointed Amarinder Singh (the new) president with immediate effect," the release said.

"Further appointments will be made shortly," it added.

Bajwa resigned from his post on Thursday. The party's legislative leader, Sunil Jakhar, had also resigned.

The two resignations came days after party vice president Rahul Gandhi visited Punjab amid factionalism in the state unit.

Amarinder Singh, the MP from Amritsar, is at present the Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha.