WITH bhangra teams lined up and firecrackers hoarded by Congress candidates and leaders in all 117 Assembly constituencies, all eyes will be on former AICC chief Rahul Gandhi’s virtual rally in Ludhiana on Sunday, where the Congress has stated that he will announce the Chief Ministerial candidate’s name of the party.
AICC in-charge, Harish Chaudhary, had stated on Friday that Rahul Gandhi would make the announcement of Congress’ Chief Ministerial face at 2 pm in Ludhiana on Sunday.
The Congress has asked all its candidates to put up huge screens in their respective constituencies, line up bhangra teams, organise laddoos and firecrackers and break into revelry as soon as the CM’s face is announced.
The party has also prepared posters listing the works done by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi in his 111 days of rule. On Saturday, it released a teaser video on social media stating that the wait was over and Congress will get its CM candidate at 2 pm on Sunday. The video has Rahul Gandhi, with pictures of both Channi and Sidhu by his side, featuring in it. While most of the Congress leaders have demanded that Channi be announced as the CM candidate, those supporting Sidhu have tried to impress on the high command that they should think of a formula of having Sidhu and Channi to be Chief Ministers on a rotational basis if the Congress is voted to power.
“We have taken it up with the high command stating that the Opposition will make Sidhu a martyr if he is left out. He is honest. He is associated with opening of the Kartarpur corridor in Punjab. The Opposition parties will get a handle against Congress if Sidhu is ignored,” a party leader said on condition of anonymity.
PPCC chief, Navjot Singh Sidhu, has recently given interviews to some TV channels stating that 60 MLAs will be needed to form the government and people will vote only for the CM candidate who is honest and not seen as a part of the mafia.
There are others, who are averse to having a CM on rotational basis. “The party will become a laughing stock if we go down that route,” another leader said.
Rajya Sabha member Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday had come out openly against the party’s decision to announce a CM candidate altogether. He said that the party should not announce the CM’s face and the election should be fought under collective leadership. Announcing the CM candidate will only harm the Congress, he claimed. He said by making an announcement, the party would only be playing in the hands of the Opposition. He also stated that Charanjit Singh Channi was already the CM, Navjot Singh Sidhu was the PPCC chief. There were many other senior leaders. Announcing a CM face will only harm the party. He said by doing so the party will make itself a soft target of Opposition parties, who will pick on various leaders.