New Delhi: With an intention to safeguard itself from the escalation of tussle brewing within the state unit, the Congress party has decided to remain firm on its stand of contesting Assembly elections in Punjab under "collective leadership".
Recently, it was being reported that Congress is mulling to announce Charanjit Singh Channi as its Chief Ministerial candidate for Punjab Assembly elections.
When asked about the matter, Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Chaudhary said, "The party has decided for the time being that Congress will contest the elections in Punjab under the collective leadership. At present, Charanjit Singh Channi is the Chief Minister of the Congress Party and as the Chief Minister, he will participate in the election campaign across Punjab."
Fearing a revolt on the part of Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has remained quite vocal about his views and opinions on social media, Congress does not want to take any risk ahead of the Assembly elections.
Asserting that the party takes every issue raised by Sidhu seriously, Chaudhary said, "Congress has three prominent faces in Punjab- Charanjit Singh Channi, Navjot Singh Sidhu, and Sunil Jakhar (Campaign Committee Chief). In 111 days, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has taken historic decisions for public welfare. Congress is surely going to win more seats in 2022 as compared to the previous elections."
However, as per the sources, the state leadership of Congress is building pressure upon the party's high command to announce Channi as the CM face. Both Channi, as well as Sidhu, also pitched the party's Central leadership for the announcement of CM face in the poll-bound state.
While Channi had claimed that the announcement of CM face will help the party to win elections, Sidhu had said that it is not the party high command but the people of Punjab who will decide the CM.
"Who will be the CM face in Punjab, that is going to be decided by the party high command. But it is a fact that there is a happy atmosphere in Punjab since Channi has been appointed as the CM. He has taken some very important decisions for the welfare of Punjab," a senior leader of Punjab said.
Meanwhile, the biggest hurdle that Sidhu has to face is to build confidence among its own leaders. "From raising organizational issues before media to giving his resignation from the post of Punjab PCC Chief, Sidhu has created trouble for himself as the party high command now lacks confidence in him. Also, the state leadership is also not happy with his style of working," a party insider informed.
Punjab will go into the polls in a single phase on February 20, while the results of the Assembly elections will come out on March 10.
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