Charanjit Singh Channi will be Congress’s Chief Ministerial candidate in Punjab, Rahul Gandhi said today in an effort to settle the dispute between his two top state leaders, days ahead of election in one the few states where the party is in power.
The Chief Ministerial face of Punjab, Rahul Gandhi said, is not his decision. “I have not decided about it. I asked this to Punjab’s people, youth, members of working committee… I may have an opinion but your opinion is more important than mine… Punjabis told us that we need a person who can understand the poor”.
Mr Gandhi’s announcement came after a tele-poll where people were asked to choose between him and Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi — the fallout of a running feud between the two. Mr Sidhu made his ambitions clear ever since he joined the Congress from the BJP ahead of the state elections in 2017.
Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, one of the frontrunners of his party’s chief ministerial post in the state, has accepted defeat. Sidhu on Sunday hailed the decision of announcing Charanjit Singh Channi as the party’s CM face.
Addressing the Ludhiana virtual rally, the cricketer-turned-politician said he never lived for any post but wanted Punjab’s betterment “During 17 years of political career, Sidhu never lived for any post, but always wanted Punjab’s betterment and improvement in lives of its people,” a section of media quoted Sidhu as saying.
Praising Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, Sidhu said it was he who made a Dalit the chief minister of Punjab last year. “It is a moment of change, Inqilab, one which can better lives of people,” said Sidhu.
“We don’t need anything, we only need Punjab’s welfare. My love for Punjab always wanted its betterment,” he added.