Declaring incumbent Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi as the chief ministerial candidate from Congress for the upcoming Punjab polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that the state needs someone who understands poverty and hunger.
"People of Punjab said that they want a Chief Minister who comes from a financially poor family. We want someone who understands poverty, hunger, and the anxiety the poor face because Punjab needs that person to lead them. Punjab CM candidate will be Charanjit Singh Channi," Rahul Gandhi said.
Rahul Gandhi made the following announcement in his rally in Ludhiana.
The announcement came after months of speculation around the Chief Ministerial face of Congress between Channi and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
After the announcement, Channi while extending courtesy to everyone involved in the decision of making him CM face said, "This is a big battle which I can't fight alone. I don't have the money, courage to fight it. The people of Punjab will fight this battle."
Ahead of the announcement, Sidhu while addressing the rally had said that he will accept Rahul Gandhi's decision.
"If I am given the decision-making power, I will finish the mafia, improve people's lives. If not given power, I will walk with a smile with whomever you make CM, I accept Rahul Gandhi's decision," Sidhu said.
Channi was picked up as Chief Minister after Captain Amarinder Singh resigned from the post in September last year amid unending infighting in the party. The parting was on a bitter note and Amarinder Singh has formed his own party to fight the polls.
Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress Party is contesting the election in alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).
Punjab will go to the polls on February 14 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10.
In the 2017 Assembly polls in the state, Congress won an absolute majority by winning 77 seats and ousted the SAD-BJP government which had been in power for 10 years.
( With inputs from ANI )
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