Congress now says no official survey on Punjab CM face

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 3

Amid lakhs of voters in Punjab getting Delhi-based interactive voice response system (IVRS) messages seeking choice of the Congress’ chief ministerial face, the PCC has denied any verified or official survey being carried out by the party.

A complaint has been filed by the PCC with the Election Commission, referring to AAP state affairs co-incharge Raghav Chadha suggesting former PCC chief Sunil Jakhar was excluded from a phone call survey for belonging to a particular community. Arshpreet Khadial, national spokesman for the IYC, and Surjit Swaich, legal adviser, pointed out Chadha’s statement was baseless as no verified survey was taking place.

Overlooked despite 42 MLAs’ support

Congress is dividing people on religious lines. Even after the support of 42 MLAs, Jakhar was not appointed the CM just for being a Hindu. —Raghav Chadha, aap state affairs co-incharge

The stand of the PCC had left the voters confused. “This means the party is getting a discreet feedback from voters without coming to the forefront,” said a party leader.

Sources in the party said the IVRS messages were aimed at building a momentum among 1.5 crore voters who would be getting the messages. Otherwise, the party under its internal mechanism was getting feedback from its leaders and workers on CM face. It is the feedback of party leaders and workers that matters, they added.

Meanwhile, reacting to Jakhar’s claim that he had the backing of 42 MLAs for the Chief Minister’s post after Capt Amarinder Singh was removed, Chadha today said the party had been doing politics based on caste and religion.

“The Congress is conspiring to divide people on the basis of caste and religion by lending religious colour to politics. The biggest example is Congress leader Sunil Jakhar. Even after the support of 42 MLAs, Jakhar was not appointed as the CM just because he is Hindu,” he claimed.

Addressing mediapersons, Chadha said it was shameful that the Congress threw Jakhar out of the CM’s race just because he was Hindu and appointed Charanjit Singh Channi, who had the support of just two MLAs. “It was done with the intent of dividing the people on the basis of caste and religion,” he said.

Claiming that the Congress was only using Jakhar to woo Hindu voters, Chadha said if Jakhar was not in the race for the post, why was his photograph being used on party’s hoardings alongside those of PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and Channi.

“The Congress is giving only two options to the people — Sidhu and Channi. Why is Jakhar not an option? He is not facing any allegations of sand mafia, corruption or drug mafia, why he is not in the race of Congress’ CM face?” he asked the ruling party.

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