Chandigarh, July 14 (TIWN) The rift between Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and his Cabinet colleague Navjot Singh Sidhu deepened on Sunday, when the latter resigned as Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy Sources, the portfolios he had not taken charge of.

 Navjot Singh Sidhu also tweeted that he will be sending his resignation to the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.  On June 6, in a portfolio reshuffle exercise, Singh divested Sidhu of the key portfolios of local government, tourism and cultural affairs and allotted him power and new and renewable energy sources ministry. Since then he had not assumed the new charge.  Sidhu was also snubbed when he was left out of the consultative groups which were formed by the chief minister on June 8, aimed to accelerate the pace of implementation of government's flagship programmes.  He has also been criticised by Punjab Chief Minister for damaging the Congress prospects with his ill-timed comments against him and the party leadership in the state.  Earlier also, the tension between Singh and Sidhu had come out in the public. Last year, Sidhu had said in Hyderabad, "(Congress chief) Rahul Gandhi is my captain...Rahul Gandhi is the captain of the captain (Singh) also."  Singh had earlier disapproved of Sidhu hugging the Pakistan Army chief during his visit to the neighbouring country.