Chandigarh: A day after Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu said the people would choose the next chief minister of the state and not the Congress high command, incumbent CM Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday voiced his views in a different tone.
Channi said the Congress should declare its chief ministerial candidate for the February 14 assembly polls.
The Punjab Chief Minister pointed out that doing so in the past has favoured the Congress reap electoral gains.
“Last time when they had declared Captain (as CM’s face) we won and previous time the (CM) candidate was not declared we lost and before that when they gave (CM candidate) we won and when they did not declare candidate we lost,” Channi said in an interview to a news channel, PTI reported.
“This time they should give (declare the CM candidate). (Navjot) Sidhu is also saying that they should declare,” he added when asked should the Congress declare its candidate for 2022 Punjab Assembly election because going by the past trend sometimes the party makes such announcement and sometimes not and last time they had declared Amarinder Singh as the CM candidate.
READ: People Of Punjab Will Choose Next CM, Not Congress High Command: Navjot Singh Sidhu
Responding to a poser if the Congress should declare him as the chief ministerial candidate, Channi said: “I have never thought about such things. Last time when Partap Singh Bajwa was the state unit chief, I was standing with him against Captain (Amarinder Singh).”
“But going by the voice of people at that time, I told Rahul Gandhi that Capt should be declared candidate and he should be made CM as people are in his favour. They (party) conducted a survey and people wanted him (Amarinder). This time whom people like they will tell and party will go by that,” he added.
The Chief Minister further said he loves the people of Punjab and they too love him.
“But whom they want to see as CM, they will tell in survey,” he said when asked if the people like him.
Channi’s statement comes as the leaders of opposition parties have lashed out at the Congress on the issue and said that it has many chief ministerial aspirants, including Sidhu and party leader Sunil Jakhar.
The Congress, currently in power in Punjab, is yet to announce its CM’s face for the assembly polls next month.
Earlier on Tuesday, Sidhu had asserted the people elect MLAs, adding and they will choose their chief minister as well and not the Congress high command in Punjab.
“The people of Punjab will make the CM. Who told you that the high command will make the CM?” he said amid speculation that the cricketer-turned-politician is himself eyeing the top post if the Congress emerges victorious in the assembly elections.
The voting for the 117-member Punjab Assembly will be held in a single phase on February 14. The votes will be counted on March 10.
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