‘People at top want weak CM': Navjot Sidhu takes on party high command
In an apparent signal that Charanjit Singh Channi is ahead of Navjot Singh Sidhu in the race to be anointed as the party’s Punjab chief ministerial candidate, the latter has sent out a bitter message to the party high command. Congress leader Sidhu said on Thursday that “people at the top” want a weak chief minister who can dance to their tunes.
Expecting a neck and neck fight with the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab, the Congress is likely to announce incumbent Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi as the party’s face for the assembly polls. The announcement is likely to be made on Sunday during a virtual rally of party leader Rahul Gandhi in Ludhiana.
Also read | Channi vs Sidhu is a hard choice for Congress
There has been a growing demand within the Congress to announce the party’s CM face.
The clamour for the announcement rose after the AAP announced Bhagwant Mann’s candidature. Congress’ internal assessment showed that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has picked much traction after the announcement of Mann’s name and that the Congress not announcing any name could impact it electorally when the state votes on February 20.
Channi and Sidhu are Congress frontrunners.
“If a new Punjab has to be made, it is in the hands of the chief minister. You have to choose the chief minister this time. People at the top want a weak chief minister who can dance to their tunes. Do you want such a chief minister?” Sidhu said while interacting with his supporters on Thursday.
Channi, however, seems to have got an edge over Sidhu in the race with the Congress assigning the former two constituencies—Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur—for the February 20 election. Political experts say this is a sign that Channi may be the party’s choice for chief minister and has been given a backup in case he loses in one seat. Sidhu, on the other hand, will be contesting from East Amritsar where Shiromani Akali Dal has fielded Bikram Singh Majithia.
A visibly miffed Sidhu, on Thursday, cancelled his public meetings and visited the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu.
The Congress recently launched a public poll on who should be the chief ministerial candidate. A call from the Congress played a recorded message in Punjabi prompting listeners to press a key to vote from three options. Channi’s name was placed at number one, followed by Sidhu’s. The third option asked whether Congress should go without a chief ministerial candidate.
The party has reportedly got approximately 52 lakh responses in its Interactive Voice Response System.
Sources said that based on the feedback, Channi has emerged as the frontrunner while the party’s state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu also got support. What goes in favour of Channi is he is a Dalit and Punjab has a sizeable population of over 30 per cent Dalits.
