The day when the election schedule for assembly polls in five states - Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, and Uttarakhand were announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI), Congress has made it clear that the Chief Ministerial face will be announced by the party.
Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala has categorically made it clear that Chief Minister Charanjeet Singh Channi, Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and Campaign Committee Chairman of Punjab Sunil Jakhar will be the driving force of the Congress in Punjab Assembly elections and the trio will lead the party to victory in the State.
Going with the collective leadership Congress wants to settle the political equation in the state with Channi being a Dalit face, Navjot Singh Sidhu as the Jat Sikh face and Jakhar being a non-Sikh face in the state.
More than 30 per cent of voters are Dalit in Punjab and Jat Sikh voters are also in large number.
Punjab is a crucial and important state for the Congress party as it is the only state where the party has a strong grip from Municipal Corporations, to Assembly and Lok Sabha.
It is a challenge for the party to retain Punjab this time as close and tough competition is expected in the polls.
After the rebellion from Congress, Captain Amrinder Singh's party Punjab Lok Congress have made the battle interesting this time.
Former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said that the polls will decide the future of Punjab and urged people to participate "in the carnival of democracy" with full spirit while observing all COVID related protocols.Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress had announced an alliance with the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Sanyukt.
117 Seats of Punjab Vidhan Sabha will go for voting in a single phase on February 14 and Counting will be done on March 10 as per the Schedule announced by Election Commision.
Meanwhile, the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ferozepur added new dimensions to the election strategy and policies but Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who has maintained that there was "no threat" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the state, reiterated on Saturday that the Prime Minister was "completely safe" when his convoy was stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes on his way to National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala.
Channi also said he had briefed party leader Priyanka Gandhi "on whatever happened here"."I am again saying there was no threat to the PM here, it was not there, will not be there. He was completely safe. His security was around him. No one went near him, for one kilometre no one came near him...I had a conversation with Priyanka Gandhiji and I had briefed her on whatever happened here," he told ANI.
Union Home Ministry has sought a report from the Punjab Government on the security breach during the Prime Minister's visit to Punjab on Wednesday. There is no doubt that the Bharatiya Janata Party will certainly make PM's security breach a top agenda or the issue in the ensuing assembly polls.
( With inputs from ANI )
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