Who are the leaders in contention for Punjab CM post?

After Captain Amarinder Singh's resignation from the post of Punjab Chief Minister on Saturday, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi is slated to select a candidate to succeed the 79-year-old during a Congress Legislature Party meeting later today.

From former state unit chief Sunil Jakhar to Navjot Singh Sidhu, various names have been doing the rounds. Let's take a look at the top contenders in the race for the Punjab CM post:

Sunil Jakhar

One of the top frontrunners for the Punjab CM post, Sunil Jakhar is a former president of the Punjab Congress. Jakhar has been elected to the Punjab Assembly thrice from 2002 till 2017 and has also been a Lok Sabha MP. Should he be chosen by Sonia Gandhi to lead the state, he will be the state's first Hindu CM since the erstwhile Punjab was split into Punjab and Haryana. The 67-year-old, though seen as a loyalist of the outgoing Amarinder Singh, is not afraid to speak his mind.

Navjot Singh Sidhu

Former cricketer and Amritsar MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has been in a power tussle with Amarinder Singh in the state, is one of the contenders for the post. In the months leading up to the former CM's resignation, Sidhu had rallied around 50 MLAs to express their dismay over the lack of fulfillment of poll promises, among other issues. The four-year-long rift between Sidhu and Singh intensified in July, following which he was made state party chief. Whether 58-year-old Sidhu, the youngest among the frontrunners, will be given the coveted post, remains to be seen.

Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa

Minister of Jails and Cooperation under the Amarinder Singh Cabinet, Sukhinder Singh Randhawa, a three-time MLA, is known for his disdain towards the Badals. Randhawa had made aware in the open to Amarinder Singh his disappointment over the non-persecution of the accused in the 2015 Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege issue. Should he be made CM, persecution of the accused in the case may be one of his prirorites.

Partap Singh Bajwa

A former MLA and currently a Rajya Sabha MP, Partap Singh Bajwa, like Sidhu had been taking shot after shot at Amarinder Singh since he become the Punjab CM in 2017. Interestingly, when Sidhu rallied support against Amarinder, Bajwa distanced himself from the dissenting MLAs. He is believed to have good relations with the BJP top brass. Having been a minister in various Congress governments in state since 1994, Bajwa had earlier this year expressed his desire to become the CM.

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