Amid an underlying tussle between the two leaders ahead of Punjab Assembly polls 2022, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Navjot Singh Sidhu have disagreed over the final list of Congress candidates. According to sources, during the recently held CEC meet, Channi and Siddhu could not agree upon the final 31 names to be included in the list of Congress candidates for Punjab Assembly elections 2022.

Committee under Maken, Ambika Soni, Venugopal to examine names

A committee has now been constituted to finalize the names of 31  candidates for the Punjab elections 2022. The committee consists of Ajay Maken, Ambika Soni, and KC Venugopal.  Navjot Singh Sidhu was keen on fielding nine new faces by replacing nine of the existing MLAs in the Charanjit Singh Channi-led Congress government. Channi reportedly disagreed with Sidhu’s proposal. Moreover, the two leaders also had differences over the allocation of seats to other Congress leaders recommended by others.

The reported differences between Sidhu and Channi come just days ahead of the scheduled polling in Punjab. While the Congress party has not projected any CM-face for Punjab elections 2022, a tweet by the official party handle featured Channi as the ‘ideal CM’ of the state, triggering speculations that the Congress high command in New Delhi could be rallying behind Channi as the CM face in the run-up to the polls.

Sidhu, on the contrary, has been attacking his own government in the state, signaling the disagreement over the party’s perceived choice. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul will visit Punjab on January 27, Sidhu said.