Cong's CM face for Punjab polls to be announced soon, says Rahul Gandhi

Rahul said that both Channi and Sidhu told him that the biggest question in Punjab is who will lead the Congress party in the state

Digressing from its stated position of ‘collective leadership’ amid the growing clamor from within the party, former national Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday announced that the party will name its CM candidate for the ensuing Punjab elections very shortly.

The announcement by Rahul Gandhi, who sounded the bugle for the single phase Punjab poll during his day-long visit to Punjab on Thursday, was juxtaposed with talks of discordant posturing by five Punjab MP’s, including Manish Tiwari, Preneet Kaur, Jasbir Singh Gill, who were absent during Gandhi’s visit today.

Also Read | Five Congress MPs 'absent' from Rahul Gandhi's poll campaign launch in Punjab

Dissent had been brewing among Punjab leaders who have been insisting that the party leadership should declare the CM face for the assembly elections. Rahul while addressing a virtual rally in Jalandhar today admitted that both chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and party chief Navjot Sidhu spoke to him while driving to the venue that the CM face needed to be declared.

While party general secretary K C Venugopal discounted the talks of the absentee MP’s dissenting, MP from Khadoor Sahib Jasbir Singh Gill who skipped Gandhi's visit to Punjab said he had informed the leadership about it beforehand and appealed to everyone to refrain from making assumptions. He also added that he had not been extended any formal invite, either by the congress state chief or the chief minister, for Rahul Gandhi’s Thursday visit.

Also Read | Clash of 'bitter' enemies: Sidhu vs Majithia in Amritsar (East)

Interestingly, both Sidhu and Channi spoke from stage in Jalandhar asking Gandhi to name the CM face while vowing to support anyone who is chosen by the party leadership.
Rahul chose not to criticise Capt Amarinder Singh and instead recalled the contribution of former PM Manmohan Singh. “Punjab gave country Manmohan Singh as the PM for 10 years. He is sooch (thought process),” he said.

'MODI HAS CENTRALIZED POWER'

Rahul trained guns at Modi and even the AAP saying they have concentrated and centralised power in their hands. “Our ideology is to hand over power to the public. Power centralisation at the national level by Modi and even by some CM is a loss for the nation,” he said. Gandhi talked about shunning evolution and bringing revolution in Punjab.

“I have asked Punjab leaders to include in its manifesto two or three promises dedicated to women of Punjab. These have to be such that they transform their lives,” he said. Earlier, Rahul along with all party candidates paid obeisance at the sacred Golden Temple and partook at langar. He also paid obeisance at other shrines in the holy city.

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