CHANDIGARH: Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the party will announce its Chief Ministerial candidate for the upcoming assembly election in Punjab as both Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu have urged him to name the CM face ahead of the elections instead of going into the polls with a collective leadership.
Addressing the 'Punjab Fateh' virtual rally 'Navi Soch, Nava Punjab' at Mithapur in Jalandhar, Rahul Gandhi said, "Both state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu and Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi discussed this issue of the CM face with me in the car while coming here. Both of them told me that this is the most crucial question in front of Punjab and asked me to declare the CM face. Both of them are of the opinion that two cannot lead and only one will lead."
Rahul said, "Both assured me that they will support and help whoever is named and respect the decision of the party. I was listening to them and I was happy. Then I thought that both of them are committed to the party. We will discuss this with the party workers and after that announce the CM face of the party."
While earlier addressing the rally, Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu said, "Please tell the people of Punjab who would lead the Congress. Who would implement the agenda? Once you make it clear, I can assure you the Congress will win with 70 seats."
Amid apparent tension between Channi and Sidhu, they put up a united face. Channi hugged Sidhu and said there is no fight between them. "People say there is a fight between us. Announce the Chief Minister face for Punjab polls and we will stand united," said Channi.
He said, "The people of Punjab want a CM face for the election. Sidhu has already talked to you about this. I am also saying this."
The tussle between Channi and Sidhu to be declared the party face for the top job is not new. A few days back, Channi had said that the Congress should announce its chief ministerial candidate in the run-up to the assembly polls as whenever the party had not announced this, it had lost.
A few state Congress leaders and senior ministers Brahm Mohindra, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Rana Gurjeet Singh have also supported Channi and asked the party high command to declare him as the CM face. Sidhu had earlier said that people would elect the Chief Minister and not the party high command. The party had declared its chief ministerial candidate ahead of the elections in 2012 and 2017.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had earlier said that the party will contest elections under a collective leadership. The AAP has already declared Bhagwant Mann as the Chief Ministerial candidate of their party.
Rahul said, "This is not just an election, but it is a question of Punjab's future. In which direction, which road, Punjab will move ahead is the question. For us, the Congress, Punjab is a symbol, for us, it is not a state alone, it is an ideology, Punjab is brotherhood. For us, our ideology, it is an important symbol. In Punjab, you will see the Congress party and its ideology. And you have given so much to this country, you gave a Prime Minister. For ten years, Manmohan Singh showed direction to this country."
He said, "There is a system to work, which you call Punjabiyat, respect for all religions, respect for women, elders, this is your ideology and ours too. So, you have to make the choice," he said.
Rahul said, "Punjab is called a land of five rivers and while I was thinking about my speech, I noticed that in the word Punjab, the party's symbol "Panja" (hand) is there."
He said there should be a dedicated manifesto for the women of Punjab. "I told Channi and Sidhu that we should have a dedicated manifesto for women. Two or three promises, not 15-20 promises so that lives of our mothers and sisters can change. I told them to incorporate it in the manifesto. As women are the spine of Punjab and what they deserve and support they do not get generally, therefore the Congress should make historic and revolutionary two-three promises for women," he said.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi along with party candidates paid obeisance at the Golden Temple and partook in the 'langar' (community kitchen) along with the party candidates and also visited Jallianwala Bagh, Durgiana Temple and Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal in Amritsar.