All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat on Sunday said that the upcoming state assembly elections will be fought under Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu who is "very popular", given the state's present political circumstances.
"It (Congress face for upcoming state assembly polls) will be decided by the Congress president, but given the circumstances, elections will be fought with the Chief Minister's cabinet under Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, whose chief is Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is very popular," ANI quoted Harish Rawat as saying.
Congress on Sunday evening announced Charanjit Singh Channi as the new Punjab Chief Minister. Harish Rawat took to Twitter to announce the name of the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab.
"Charanjit Singh Channi has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab," Harish Rawat tweeted.
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Meanwhile, while speaking to ANI Rawat state that the Congress had yesterday (Saturday) itself unanimously decided to make Charanjit Singh Channi the next Chief Minister of Punjab.
"The decision (to choose the new Punjab CM) was taken yesterday only. We were only waiting to meet the Governor. The party was unanimous on Charanjit Singh Channi's name. We will try to ensure that he (Amarinder Singh) is there at oath-taking, but it's up to him," said Rawat.
He said that the names for two deputy chief ministers are yet to be decided.
"Our mutual feeling is that there should be two deputy CMs. Soon we will take a call on it along with names for the Council of Ministers. Some names have been discussed but it's the CM's prerogative who will discuss it with party high command and takes a call," the former Uttarakhand chief minister said.
Congress MLA Charanjit Singh Channi will take the oath as the new Chief Minister of Punjab on Monday at 11 am on Monday.
Addressing media after meeting Governor Banwarilal Purohit, the Chief Minister-designate of Punjab said, "We have presented our stance, unanimously supported by party MLAs, before the Governor. Oath taking ceremony will take place at 11 am tomorrow."
Channi will succeed Captain Amarinder Singh, who resigned as the chief minister of Punjab on Saturday following months of infighting between him and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Channi (58), a minister in the outgoing Amarinder Singh cabinet, comes from the Dalit community. Channi met the Punjab Governor and staked claim to form a government, sources said, adding that Rawat and the party's central observers Ajay Maken and Harish Chaudhary accompanied him.
These development came months before the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.
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