After much suspense, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi  announced Charanjit Singh Channi as the party’s chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming assembly election in Punjab.

Before announcing the name of the CM candidate, Rahul Gandhi recalled his first meeting with Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu who was also in the race to become the chief ministerial’s face of the party ahead of the polls.

“I met Navjot Singh Sidhu 40 years ago but he doesn’t know that he met Rahul Gandhi. I was in the Doon School where he came to play a cricket match,” Rahul Gandhi said.

For the past several weeks, both Channi and Sidhu have, directly or indirectly, made a case to be declared as the party’s nominee for the top post.

Addressing the Ludhiana virtual rally, Sidhu earlier said he never lived for any post and hailed the decision of making Channi as the chief minister of the state.

“During 17 years of a political career, Sidhu never lived for any post, but always wanted Punjab’s betterment and improvement in lives of its people,” the Punjab Congress chief said.

He also lauded Rahul Gandhi’s leadership and said it was he who made a Dalit the chief minister of the state last year. “It is a moment of change, Inqilab, one which can better the 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.