Ahead of the Congress’ announcement on the party’s chief ministerial candidate for Punjab Assembly polls, its state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu said in Amritsar on Friday, 4 February, that “those at the top” want a weak chief minister who can dance to their tunes.
Soon after his speech, Sidhu’s media adviser Surinder Dalla, however, clarified that his statements were being unnecessarily twisted and that the Congress leader was referring to the Centre, and not the Congress party high command when he said that “they” wanted a weak CM in Punjab, reported The Indian Express.
Sidhu, one of the top contenders for Congress’ CM face, had said in Punjabi:
"People at the top want a weak CM who can dance to their tunes...Do you want such a CM?"Navjot Singh Sidhu
He further added that the Chief Minister will have the power to create a new Punjab and that the people must choose their CM this time.
He said, "I want to say one thing, if you want a new Punjab, it is in the hands of the CM. You have to choose the CM this time."
The Congress leader added: "If you choose an honest man, then the honesty will percolate down. Two chief ministers ruined the state in the last 25 years. This time, you have to choose the CM. If you make a thief sit on the top, then you know what will happen."
The Congress will announce the party's CM candidate on Sunday, 6 February, when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit the state. Congress party's Punjab incharge Harish Choudhary reiterated the same on Friday.
It appears that the choice of a CM face is primarily between incumbent Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Last week, Gandhi had said at a virtual rally in Jalandhar that the decision would be made after consultations with party workers.
Gandhi had said that whoever would "lead in Punjab," the other person would support him.
(With inputs from ANI and Indian Express.)
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