Less than a day after the Congress released its third list of eight candidates for the upcoming Punjab assembly polls, there are indications that the party may select Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi as the CM candidate. According to the recently released list, he will be contesting from the Bhadaur and Chamkaur Sahib seats.
According to reports, talks are presently underway and a decision can be expected in the coming days. The development also comes soon after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s assurance that the party would go into the elections with a CM face. The decision, he had said during a virtual rally earlier this week, would be taken after consulting party workers.
While the party has so far shied away from naming a CM face for the 2022 elections, both Channi and Congress state president Navjot Singh Sidhu have hinted at their keenness to be named to the role. During the virtual rally in Jalandhar, Gandhi had said that both leaders had assured him that whoever was chosen as the CM face, would be supported by the other.
“Normally, we do not do this but if the Congress party, our workers and Punjab want this, then we will decide on the CM face for you…both Sidhu and Channi gave me an assurance that two people cannot lead and only one can lead. Both told me whoever leads, the other will put all his energy behind him,” Gandhi said.
Despite acquiescing, Sidhu however said that he does not want to be a “darshani ghoda” (showpiece). Earlier this month, the MLA had claimed that the “people of Punjab” would decide who would be the Chief Minister. “Who told you that the (Congress) high command will make the CM?” Sidhu had asked during an interaction with the media.
The remarks were swiftly countered by Channi who claimed that the Congress had previously won elections where the CM candidate had been named. “This time they should give (declare the CM candidate). Sidhu is also saying that they should declare,” he had contended during an interaction with a local TV channel. stressed his own popularity as a political leader, Channi refused to name names.
