By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Expecting a neck and neck fight with the AAP in Punjab, the Congress is likely to announce Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi as the party’s face for the assembly polls. The announcement is expected Sunday during a virtual rally of party leader Rahul Gandhi in Ludhiana.
There has been a growing demand from state units to announce the party’s CM face, especially after the AAP announced Bhagwant Mann’s candidature. The internal assessment showed that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has picked much traction after the announcement of Mann’s name and that the Congress not announcing any name could impact it electorally. Punjab will vote on February 20.
Earlier, Rahul in Punjab had said that the party will announce the name of CM candidate after talking to people of the state. Telephonic feedback was collected by calling voters and asking them about the CM’s face. The party has till date got approximately 52 lakh responses in its Interactive Voice Response System.
Sources said that based on the feedback, Channi has emerged as the frontrunner while the party’s state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu also got support. What goes in favour of Channi is he is a Dalit and Punjab has a sizeable of over 30 per cent Dalit population.
There has been an ongoing tussle between Channi and Sidhu over the party’s CM face. The chief minister has said that the party should go ahead and name its CM face, while the PCC president called for the people of the state to decide it.
In a clear signal on party’s choice, Channi is contesting from two seats — Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur, while Sidhu will be trying his fate from East Amritsar where Shiromani Akali Dal has fielded Bikram Singh Majithia. Last month, party has also posted a video on official handles where actor Sonu Sood was seen endorsing Channi as the CM.
A video, meanwhile, has gone viral in which Channi is heard telling his supporters about an election meeting at Chamkaur Sahib. “I will be with Rahul Gandhi in Ludhiana on February 6 and there he is expected to make the announcement of the CM face.’’ He told them to watch the virtual rally and accordingly make arrangements.
