Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that Charanjit Singh Channi will be the Congress party’s Chief Minister candidate in Punjab.
Ahead of the announcement, PCC Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was one of the two main contendors for the top post, said that everyone will follow Congress party’s decision.
“A leader is not made in 10-15 days. He is born from fights and struggles. Sidhu, Channi, Jakhar— all have walked on difficult paths and learnt. Too difficult to pick a diamond among so many diamonds,” former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said in a public event in Ludhiana.
“People of Punjab have said, we want someone from a poor home as the chief minister. Somebody who understands the plight, hunger and fears of the poor. Because that’s what Punjab needs, ” making the announcement Rahul said.
Channi is the only Dalit chief minister in the country. He had been a minister in the Captain Amarinder Singh government before replacing him as the chief minister.
The Punjab Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on 20 February, the results of which will be declared on 10 March.
