Congress begins discussion on CM face in Punjab amid Channi-Sidhu ongoing rift

A few days ahead of the Punjab Election, Congress leadership has started discussions with party leaders and workers to pick its chief ministerial face, informed party sources on Sunday, January 30. As per the latest reports, party Chief Sonia Gandhi has sought party members' response through the Shakti application. Earlier, it was reported that the grand old party will not project its CM face for the 2022 Punjab polls amid the tussle between CM Charanjit Singh Channi and the party's state president Navjot Singh Sidhu. 

Sources have further informed that the opinion of common people on the issue will also be sought in a day or two. It is significant to mention that the latest political scoop came days after Rahul Gandhi during a January 27 virtual rally had announced that the party would go with a chief ministerial face in the Punjab elections.

Will Charanjit Singh Channi be the CM face for Congress in Punjab?

After the grand-old party released its third list of candidates for Punjab Assembly elections on January 30, Sunday it was learned that current CM Channi has been fielded from another seat— Bhadaur. This led to the speculations of him being the CM face for the party as earlier, he was declared as a candidate from Chamkaur Sahib, the constituency he has been representing for over a decade. He is the only party candidate to be fielded from two seats.

Later, it was also reported that Congress members are putting their weight behind Channi, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community. Earlier, in 2012 and 2017, the party had declared its CM candidate ahead of the elections, senior leader and minister Brahm Mohindra had said, adding that Channi has proved himself in the role in just three months. Mohindra's cabinet colleague Rana Gurjeet Singh had also come out backing Channi while raising a question mark about his continuation as CM after the party comes back to power. Cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Shahkot MLA Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia are also backing the idea of having Channi as chief ministers if the party succeed in the polls.

Why Charanjit Singh Channi for the CM face?

To attract the SCs and STs votes which has been a traditional vote bank of the Congress, the Congress might be focusing on Channi as the community drifted away from the party following the emergence of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and some other small groups. The Congress is now seeking to consolidate the SC vote bank, which comprises almost one-third of Punjab's population, by choosing Channi to replace former chief minister Amarinder Singh.

A three-time MLA from Chamkaur Sahib, Channi is the first Dalit chief minister of Punjab. The Congress has fielded him from two seats -- Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur -- in the state assembly polls that will be held on February 20. Congress has followed the 'one family, one seat' formula in allocating tickets to its candidates in Punjab.

Channi-Sidhu on CM face

While infighting amid both the party leaders has been witnessed on several occasions, initially both leaders have maintained that the face will be selected by the high command. However, over the past several weeks both Channi and Sidhu have directly or indirectly, made a case for themselves to be declared as the party's chief ministerial candidate.

(With agency inputs)