New Delhi: In what comes in as an embarrassment for the grand old party in the run up to the Punjab Assembly elections and provides fresh fodder to the opposition, senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar has claimed that a majority of the MLAs had backed him for the chief minister’s post after Captain Amarinder Singh quit.


Jakhar, the Congress’ campaign committee chief, can be heard saying in Punjabi in a video that has now gone viral that he was the MLAs first choice for the top post.


He claimed that 42 of the 79 Congress MLAs had voted for him to take over as the chief minister.


The senior Congress leader, who made the claims at a campaigning meeting in Abohar constituency earlier on Tuesday, also said that incumbent Charanjit Singh Channi had received just two votes.


“I was the first choice of the MLAs. As many as 42 MLAs had voted for me, 16, for now, deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, 12 for MP Preneet Kaur, 6 for Navjot Singh Sidhu and only 2 for CM Charanjit Singh Channi,” he said.


The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took a dig at the Congress after Jakhar’s claims.


“It's not new. When Nehruji had become (Congress) chief, everyone supported (Sardar Vallabhbhai) Patel Ji, not him,” Union Minister and BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi told ANI.


“If Patel Ji wasn't respected, how can you expect it for Jakhar Ji,” she added in a sarcastic tone.


Jakhar’s claims come amid the ongoing rift between Channi and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu for the top post in the state.


Attempting to downplay reports of rift, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had earlier last week said Channi and Sidhu have assured him that both will support whosoever is the CM face.


Gandhi said the Congress workers will take a final call on the CM face in Punjab.


“Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu assured me that whoever will lead (CM face) Punjab, the other person will support him. The party workers will decide,” he said while addressing a gathering in Punjab, ANI reported.


Voting for the Punjab Assembly will be held in a single phase on February 14. The results will be declared on March 10.