Rahul Gandhi likely to announce Punjab CM face on Feb 6

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 3

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to announce the chief ministerial face during a virtually rally in Ludhiana on February 6. AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi will visit the state in the second week of this month.

Confirming Rahul’s visit, CM Charanjit Singh Channi said the party leader is likely to announce the CM face. Yesterday, PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu had said the announcement on the CM face could happen any time.

CM face or not, Sidhu will be hero

Sidhu is a hero and will remain one. Does not matter who will be the CM face. The only thing that matters is the CM should listen to ministers, sign files and let them work. — Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of PCC chief

Sources in the party said to build the tempo ahead of the much-awaited announcement, the party will start a digital campaign from Friday. Unlike the last virtual rally at Jalandhar, where party candidates had joined Rahul for the digital rally, the candidates will this time be stationed in their respective Assembly segments.

Rahul had during his recent visit announced that the party will seek responses from voters and workers to zero in on the CM face. Following this, pre-recorded message through the interactive voice response system (IVRS) were sent out to mobile numbers of voters across the state. Besides, feedback was taken through party candidates, AICC coordinators, survey teams spread across the 117 segments. The party has already got over 60 lakh responses.

A senior party leader said Jakhar’s reference to him receiving maximum votes from MLAs after Capt Amarinder Singh was dethroned but still not being considered for being a Hindu face has brought to fore infighting within the party. He has strongly condemned the use of ‘Sikh-Hindu factor’ by certain senior leaders, claiming the Congress was a secular party.

Party leaders point out that experienced leaders such as Partap Singh Bajwa and Sunil Jakhar cannot be overlooked. While Jakhar is not in the fray, Bajwa is contesting from Qadian. —

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