Rahul Gandhi announces Channi's name as the CM candidate for Punjab Elections

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday announced incumbent chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi's name as the CM candidate for the upcoming Punjab Assembly Election 2022. It was a difficult decision but the people of Punjab made it easy as they wanted a CM who comes from a poor family, Rahul Gandhi said, after sharing anecdotes about Channi, Navjot Singh Sindhu and Sunil Jakhar. "It is very easy to give a speech. But I have been observing our leaders deeply, how they react to a situation," Rahul said.

Politics is not an event, it is a journey full of difficulties, Rahul Gandhi said. "Everyone has their own fight. PM Narendra Modi also has his own fight. Sidhu ji, Channi ji, Jakhar ji all have their different fights," Rahul said.

Opening the address, Sunil Jakhar, who was apparently miffed with the Congress high command, heaped praises on Rahul Gandhi and said making Charanjit Singh Channi the chief minister of Punjab following Amarinder Singh's exit was the greatest political decision that Rahul Gandhi has ever taken. Following Jakhar's address, Navjot Singh Sidhu took the stage and using his usual strain of 'thoko taali', Sidhu said Rahul Gandhi is the only person who can make Charanjit Singh Channi the chief minister. "Rahul Ji, Sidhu ashiq hai Punjab da," Sidhu said adding that he will always remain a worker of the party and only a minister becomes an ex, but a worker never becomes ‘ex’. As Sidhu raised an emotional pitch during his address, Channi left his seat and hugged Sidhu. The Congress put up a unique show of unity as Rahul Gandhi arrived in Punjab. Sunil Jakhar drove the car for Rahul Gandhi while Charanjit Singh Channi and Navjot Singh Sidhu sat in the back. Tweeting the video of the car, the Punjab Youth Congress wrote, "This is how the United Congress will drive the Congress to victory in Punjab."

As Charanjit Singh Channi addressed, he said in his long association with politics, he always had a clean image and has always been honest. Pledging to full cooperation, Channi said he will support whoever becomes the CM candidate in the upcoming polls.

(Except for the headline and the pictorial description, this story has not been edited by THE DEN staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)