Putting an end to speculation, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Ludhiana on Sunday announced Charanjit Singh Channi as the party’s chief minister for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.
The decision was taken a few days after the Congress high command took public opinion through IVR (Interactive Voice Response) calls to decide its chief ministerial candidate in Punjab.
Announcing the CM face of Congress, Rahul Gandhi said that as per the suggestion of the people, the party wants a chief minister from a poor background who understands the pain of the lower classes. Follow Assembly Election Live Updates
“She [Channi] Is from poor family. He understands and knows poverty deeply. And Punjab is in their heart and blood: Rahul Gandhi
Read | Rahul Gandhi shares ride with Channi, Sidhu, Jakhar before declaring CM face of Punjab
After being declared the CM candidate, Charanjit Singh Channi thanked Rahul Gandhi and said that a poor man became the Chief Minister of Punjab because of him.
Channi said, “I thank everyone. This is a big battle which I cannot fight alone. I do not have money, do not dare to fight it. People of Punjab will fight this battle.”
Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was also in contention for the party’s CM face, praised Rahul Gandhi, saying that only he could have made a Dalit the chief minister of Punjab.
Charanjit Singh Channi and Navjot Singh Sidhu were the main contenders to be the CM face for the party, though both had assured Rahul Gandhi that whoever was chosen would stand by the verdict.
Punjab Assembly Election 2022 will be held in a single phase on February 14 for 117 constituencies. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
While Charanjit Singh Channi is contesting the upcoming Punjab elections from both Bhadaur and Chamkaur Sahib constituencies, Navjot Singh Sindhu is contesting from Amritsar East.
Who is Charanjit Singh Channi?
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi has been a three-time MLA from Chamkaur Sahib. The 58-year-old was Punjab’s Minister of Technical Education and Industrial Training, Employment Generation and Science and Technology.
Channi was first elected to the state assembly in 2007. Prior to this, he served as the President of the Municipal Council in Kharar for two terms. Channi was also the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly in 2015-16. He was made a minister in the Captain Amarinder Singh government in March 2017.
Congress in sight of storm
Meanwhile, the Congress was in the grip of a storm, even as its leader Sunil Jakhar slammed ‘advisers sitting in Delhi’ for being rejected from the race for the chief ministerial candidate.
Jakhar said he was angry not because he was rejected, but because he was rejected because he is a Hindu, not a Sikh.
“Advisors in Delhi are not giving right advice. It is okay to tell me that I was not made CM [candidate] If I were not an MLA and not because I am a Punjabi Hindu. You have troubled an entire community because of this,” Jakhar said.
On Saturday, Congress leader Manish Tewari also took a dig at the party for not including him in the list of star campaigners for Punjab elections. He also differed with his party by saying that the CM should be elected by the elected MLAs.
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