Just a couple of weeks ahead of the Punjab assembly elections 2022, Congress leader Sunil Jakhar has made a big claim as the party is on track to decide its chief ministerial candidate. According to Jakhar, he was the top choice for CM in Punjab, not Charanjit Singh Channi.
A video is reportedly doing rounds on the internet which shows Sunil Jakhar saying that as many as 42 MLAs wanted him to become the chief minister of Punjab after Captain Amarinder Singh resigned, while only 2 MLAs wanted the CM to be Charanjit Singh Channi.
Captain Amarinder Singh resigned from the CM post in Punjab and the Congress party after an internal conflict with Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. After Singh’s resignation, Charanjit Singh Channi was appointed as the CM of Punjab.
As per PTI reports, the senior Congress leader said, “Forty-two votes went for Sunil (Jakhar), 16 for Sukhjinder Randhawa, 12 votes for Maharani Preneet Kaur (Amarinder Singh’s wife and Patiala MP), six votes for Navjot Singh Sidhu and two votes for (Charanjit Singh) Channi.”
Further, Jakhar also claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi offered him the deputy chief minister post in Punjab, which he declined. These remarks were made at a gathering in the Abohar constituency where Jakhar was seeking votes for his nephew.
IANS further quoted Jakhar as saying, “Despite being denied the top post, I am very happy that most MLAs trusted me. This is what I have earned in my career. I do not hold the post but the MLAs were in my favour.”
Last week, Rahul Gandhi had announced that a virtual rally will be conducted to announce the Chief Ministerial candidate for Punjab for the upcoming state assembly elections. He said that both Sidhu and Channi have assured the party that whoever is picked, the other would support him.
The Punjab assembly elections 2022 are set to commence from February 20 in a single phase, while the counting of the votes will be done on March 10.
