Amidst intensified infighting in the Congress' Punjab unit, the party high command is now considering announcing the name of its chief ministerial candidate. Sources told India TV that that party could announce its chief ministerial candidate today evening.
If reports are to be believed, incumbent CM Charanjit Singh Channi is the frontrunner while the party's state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu is at the second spot. Names of other probables like former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and Sukhjinder Randhawa and OP Soni have been left out by the party leadership.
Earlier today, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi in an exclusive interaction with India TV said that there was no infighting within the Congress over CM face even as both -- Channi and Sidhu have been pitching their candidature.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi during his Punjab visit last month had said that if the party workers want a CM face, "then we will take a decision on the CM face" after consulting our workers.
"The demand for declaring chief ministerial face will be met as soon as possible," he had said at a party event in the presence of Channi and Sidhu. "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," Rahul said.
Sidhu who is contesting from Amritsar East has been weighing in on his CM ambitions ever since Captain Amarinder Singh was forced to step down from the top job. However, the Congress leadership appointed Channi, a dalit, as the CM. Channi is in the fray from Bhadaur (his home turf) and Chamkaur Sahib.
Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has emerged as a powerful opposition in the border state, has already declared Bhagwant Mann as its chief ministerial candidate.
Polling in Punjab will take place in a single phase on February 20 and the result will be announced on March 10.
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