The Congress released its third list of eight candidates for the Punjab elections, in which Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will fight from Bhadaur constituency. Earlier, the party had announced his candidature from Chamkaur Sahib. With this, the speculation is high among Congress workers that Channi would be the CM face of the party in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.
This development comes amid speculation over Congress’ CM candidate in Punjab on which party leader Rahul Gandhi has said that despite the tradition of not announcing a CM face generally, the party will be doing so this time in Punjab. A senior Congress leader told The Daily Guardian, “High command wishes Channi to win at any cost, as they wish him to be the next CM of Punjab. The party authority has some apprehensions in case of Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, this is why Channi is to fight from two seats.”
Channi, 58, a first-time Chief Minister, took over the top job in Punjab in September after the Congress sacked Amarinder Singh, who was involved in a bitter and protracted tussle with state party chief Navjot Sidhu.
Reacting to the news, Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal said that his party’s survey had already found that the Chief Minister would lose the election and his fighting from two seats was an indication that the survey was true.
“I had said that according to our survey, Channi-ji is losing from Chamkaur Sahib. Today Congress has announced that he will contest from two seats. Does this mean the survey is true?” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
The third list also announced former Union Minister for Railways, Pawan Bansal’s son Manish Bansal’s candidature from Barnala constituency. Whereas former mayor of Patiala Vishnu Sharma is going to contest from Patiala against Captain Amarinder Singh.
Punjab is going to have elections on 20 February and the results will be out on 10 March 2022.
WITH AGENCY INPUTS