According to news agency PTI, Congress is likely to announce its chief minister candidate for Punjab on February 6, a few days before the state assembly election. This will end the suspense over whether the current incumbent Charanjit Singh Channi or State Assembly chairman Navjot Singh Sidhu will be the face of the Grand Old Party.

According to PTI, Rahul Gandhi is likely to make a big statement during his visit to the polled state on Sunday. During a recent visit to Punjab on January 27, Gandhi has confirmed that the party will contest elections with the face of the CM and a decision will be made soon after consulting with party staff. He even said that both leaders had assured him that whoever was chosen as the candidate for chief minister, the other would support him.

After Rahul Gandhi’s statement at the rally, Sidhu asked the party to announce the CM face in the polls, saying he did not want to be a “showcase”.

Meanwhile, Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi has started consultations with party leaders and workers. The party is seeking responses from Congress leaders and workers through its Shakti app. The party also consulted the common people on this issue.

Over the past few weeks, both Chaney and Sidhu have tried, either indirectly or directly, to position themselves as candidates for chief minister.

Congress appears to be supporting Channi, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community and has been fielded from two parliamentary seats in Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur.

SCs and Scheduled Tribes (STs) have been traditional voting pools in Congress, but with the emergence of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and some other small groups, they have gradually moved away from the party.

Congress is now seeking to consolidate the SC voting bank, which accounts for nearly a third of Punjab’s population, by picking Channi.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times