Amid tiff for leadership in the state, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, during his visit to Punjab said that the CM's face, for the upcoming assembly elections, will be decided by the party workers.
The Congress leader said that both Chief Minister Charanjit Channi and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu assured him that whoever will lead the state will receive the support of the other.
"Normally, we don’t do this but if the Congress Party, our workers and Punjab wants this, then we will take a decision on the CM face," he said.
"We will take this decision after consulting our workers. Others will work as a team," he said. The demand for declaring chief ministerial face will be met as soon as possible, Gandhi added.
Rahul said both Channi and Sidhu told him that biggest question in Punjab is who will lead the Congress Party in the state.
"Media people call it chief ministerial candidate. 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," said Gandhi.
Earlier in his address, Sidhu said people want clarity who will implement the agenda and roadmap, to which Channi later said he was never after any post and anyone whose name is announced, he will whole heartedly back the decision.
Gandhi arrived here in the evening from Amritsar. His arrival here got delayed as he had reached Amritsar three hours behind schedule owing to bad weather.
Rahul Gandhi is visiting the poll-bound state for the first time after the election dates were announced on January 8 by the Election Commission of India.
Channi, Sidhu, and deputy chief ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and O P Soni earlier received Gandhi at the Amritsar airport on his arrival from Delhi.
The Congress has announced 109 candidates for the February 20 Punjab Assembly polls. The names of candidates for eight seats are yet to be announced.
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(inputs from PTI)
