'Never hankered after posts': Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Punjab politics
Amid continued anticipation over who will chair the CM's seat in Punjab, likely candidate Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Sunday asserted that he has never hankered after posts He is a minister in the outgoing cabinet of Amarinder Singh whose name is doing the rounds among the probables to be the new leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Punjab. Asked that his name was among the frontrunners, Randhawa replied he or his family "never hankers for any post".
When the mediapersons here asked that can it be assumed that they are talking to the future chief minister, Randhawa quipped, " You are talking to a Congressman".
He slyly took a dig at Amarinder Singh who recently tendered his resignation from the post of Punjab CM. "A chief minister remains (in his post) only till the time when his party, people of the state stand by him", he said.
Asked how soon can one expect the name of new CLP leader to be announced, Randhawa said, "We have authorized Congress president in this regard." He said the party senior leadership has not only to talk to the MLAs, but other stalwarts too before finalizing the name. Asked why so much time is being taken to announce the CLP leader, he said, "If you have to make a village sarpanch, sometimes it takes 20 days to decide".
Congress's Pargat Singh recently revealed that the name of next Punjab CM can be announced in the coming hour.
On Amarinder Singh saying he felt humiliated, Randhawa replied, "So far, the BJP has changed five chief ministers And in the Congress too, some chief ministers have been changed. In Congress, Amarinder Singh has the maximum tenure of nine-and-half years as chief minister. The honour he got, I think no other chief minister got so much."
To a question over what caused differences with Amarinder Singh, he said, "When we felt that promises which were made… and elections were near and the Congress high-command and we too felt worried".
On Amarinder Singh's outbursts against Navjot Singh Sidhu after he resigned as chief minister, Randhawa termed it as "unfortunate" that a senior leader had used such words. "I think it is unfortunate that such words have been used against Punjab Congress chief by a senior leader," he said. "Even today, I consider him like a father," said the Jails and Cooperation minister in the outgoing cabinet of Amarinder Singh.
(PTI Inputs)
