Punjab polls: Charanjit Channi or Sidhu? Rahul Gandhi says Congress workers to decide on CM face

Rahul Gandhi said, “We will ask Congress workers to decide Punjab Chief Ministerial candidate.”

File Photo

New Delhi: Addressing the issue of Punjab chief ministerial face in the upcoming state Assembly polls, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (January 27) said that a candidate for the top post will be announced after consulting Congress workers. 

Speaking at 'Punjab Fateh' virtual rally in Jalandhar’s Mithapur, Gandhi as quoted by ANI said, “We will ask Congress workers to decide Punjab Chief Ministerial candidate.”

Gandhi also said that incumbent Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and party's state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu have assured him to work together despite which of them will lead the government if Congress is elected. 

“Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and State Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu assured me that whoever will lead (CM face) Punjab the other person will support him. Party workers will decide (name of CM face),” Gandhi added. 

The demand for declaring CM face will be met as soon as possible, the Congress MP stated. 

Channi also claimed there is no feud between him and Sidhu over the CM post in the upcoming election. “There is no fight between us. Announce chief minister face for Punjab polls, we (Punjab Congress) will stand united: Punjab CM said. 

We will ask Congress workers to decide Punjab Chief Ministerial candidate: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at a virtual rally pic.twitter.com/NYDsoMRTic — ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2022

Last week, the Punjab Congress chief had said that party high command will decide the chief ministerial face in the state. Earlier, Channi had favoured announcing the CM face before the polls. 

Rahul Gandhi who was in Punjab today also visited Golden Temple in Amritsar earlier and ate ‘langar’ there along with Congress candidates. Gandhi also visited Jallianwala Bagh after arriving in the poll-bound state. This is Gandhi's first visit to Punjab after the election dates were announced on January 8 by the Election Commission of India. 

Punjab will go to polls in a single phase on February 20 to elect 117 members.

(With agency inputs)