Sunil Jakhar claims 42 of 79 party MLAs wanted him to be CM, while only two MLAs favoured Channi

|HT|

Sunil Jakhar, the former chief of Punjab Pradesh Congress who made way for Navjot Sidhu last year when the Amarinder-Sidhu clash was at its peak has dropped a bomb ahead of the Punjab Assembly Election 2022 at a time when the Congress is all set to announce its CM candidate for the upcoming polls. Sunil Jakhar claimed that 42 of the 79 party MLAs wanted him to take over as the chief minister after Amarinder Singh stepped down, while only two MLAs favoured Charanjit Singh Channi. Giving details, he said 16 MLAs were in support of Sukhjinder Randhawa, the present deputy CM, 12 MLAs were in favour of Captain Amarinder Singh's wife Preneet Kaur for the deputy CM post. Six MLAs wanted Sidhu as the chief minister. Jakhar also said he declined the offer to be the deputy chief minister. Jakhar's claim at a public meeting in his Abohar constituency on Tuesday comes as significant as he is a frontrunner to be the CM face of the Congress for the coming election. Though Congress said it is not general practice to announce a CM candidate, the party will do so this time giving in to the demands of the party workers and supporters. Channi is emerging as a more possible candidate than Sidhu going by the sentiment of the party workers. While Channi's name as the chief minister sprang a surprise, Sunil Jakhar's name was widely discussed as the probable chief minister following Amarinder Singh's resignation.

Punjab Congress has always seen a leadership crisis and Jakhar's comment just weeks before the election underline that the crisis is far from being over, though Channi and Sidhu pledged in front of Rahul Gandhi to cooperate with each other, whoever becomes the CM candidate. Commenting on the crisis, Union minister and BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi said this is nothing new. "When Nehruji had become the Congress chief, everyone supported Patel ji, not him. If Patel ji was not respected, how can you expect it for Jakhar ji?" she said.

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