Ahead of Punjab Assembly elections, state Congress leader Sunil Jakhar on Tuesday, 1 February, claimed that a majority of party MLAs had backed him for the chief minister's post. He also said that Navjot Singh Sidhu and Charanjit Channi had been the least favoured names for the position after Captain Amarinder Singh's exit.
In a video that has been widely circulated, former Punjab Congress chief Jakhar can be heard saying:
"42 MLAs voted for me, 16 for Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, 12 for Preneet Kaur, 6 for Navjot Singh Sidhu, and 2 for Channi. My only complaint is that Rahul Gandhi called me and asked me why don't you become the deputy chief minister? I said no."
"I have no complaints about I could have been here, I could have been there. Whatever God does is for the best," Jakhar can be heard saying in the video.
Amarinder Singh had resigned as chief minister in September 2021, following a long-running feud with Sidhu. Amid speculations over the promotion of and Randhawa or Jakhar to the vacated post, Channi had been named as Singh's successor.
Reacting to Jakhar's claim, BJP leader and Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi said, "This is not new. When Nehruji had become (Congress) chief, everyone supported Patelji, not him. If Patelji wasn't respected, how can you expect it for Jakhar ji?"
Jakhar's statement comes at a time when the Congress is deliberating upon its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls scheduled for 20 February.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi and the party's state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu are reportedly the top contenders for the post.
"Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu assured me that whoever becomes the CM face, the other person will support him," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was quoted as saying by ANI on Thursday.
(With inputs from ANI)
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