Punjab Congress Crisis: Sunil Jakhar slams Harish Rawat for 'Sidhu to lead Punjab polls' statement

New Delhi: Reacting to Harish Rawat’s statement that “next election in Punjab will be fought under Navjot Singh Sidhu” former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Sunil Jakhar dubbed the statement as “baffling” and said it’s likely to undermine the Chief Minister's authority.

Talking to twitter on Monday Sunil Jakhar said, “On the swearing-in day of Sh @Charnjit_channi as Chief Minister, Mr Rawat’s statement that ‘elections will be fought under Sidhu’, is baffling,”.

“It’s likely to undermine the CM's authority but also negate the very ‘raison d’être’ of his selection for this position,” he added.

Congress in-charge Harish Rawat, reportedly made this statement after the party’s CLP elected Charanjit Singh Channi as the next chief Minister of Punjab.

Speaking to reports here in New Delhi, Mr Rawat said, "it will be decided by the Congress President, but given the circumstance; elections will be fought with Chief Ministers’ cabinet under Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, whose Chief is Navjot Singh Sidhu.”

Jakhar was one of the frontrunners for the post of new Congress Legislative Party leader after Amarinder Singh resigned, saying he was “disheartened” by the senior leadership for calling a CLP meeting without his knowledge.

Meanwhile, another senior Congress leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that Harish Rawat has insulted Dalits by making such statements.

“By projecting CHARANJITCHANNI as a Dummy CM & saying 2022 elections will be fought presenting Navjot Sidhu as CM; Harish Rawat has insulted Dalits INCIndia & Gandhi family once again showed that they treat Dalits as pawns & don’t consider them worthy of respect & stature,” Sirsa said in tweet.

On Sunday, the Congress selected Charanjit Singh Channi for the chief minister’s chair, making him the first Dalit to hold the post in the state, a day after Captain Amarinder Singh resigned following a bitter months-long power tussle within the party. (UNI)