New Delhi: Speaking to ABP News, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat made a major revelation as he said that Congress will fight the upcoming Punjab assembly election keeping state party president Navjot Singh Sidhu at the forefront.
When asked if the upcoming Punjab assembly election will be fought with the face of Charanjit Singh Channi, he replied: “The election will be fought with the Punjab Congress chief and the unit at the forefront”.
“We will go into the polls with the state Congress president at the forefront,” he reiterated.
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ABP News spoke to veteran Congress leader Harish Rawat over the appointment of Charanjit Singh Channi as the first Dalit Chief Minister-designate of Punjab.
“We have a lot of hopes for him because he has his own experience pertaining to Punjab. Most importantly, he comes from a downtrodden and poor section that has faced a lot,” the former Uttarakhand Chief Minister said.
He revealed that the decision on the Punjab CM face was reached on Saturday and they were waiting for the right moment to make an announcement.
On rumours about Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa being sidelined because of opposition by Sidhu, Harish Rawat clarified: “Saying that anybody stopped him is completely unjust. Nobody stopped anybody”.
He then went on to state that the Punjab election will be fought with Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu at the helm.
When asked about CM Amarinder’s remarks against Sidhu, the Punjab affairs in-charge termed the comments as “momentary reaction” and said that he does not want to react to them.
Navjot Sidhu, Randeep Surjewala Call Decision On Punjab CM ‘Historic’
Soon after the announcement, former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi congratulated Charanjit Singh Channi.
Navjot Singh Sidhu lauded the decision as he wrote: “Historic !! Punjab’s first Dalit CM-Designate … Will be written with Golden letters in History. A tribute to the spirit of the Constitution and the Congress !!”
National Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also shared similar sentiments as tweeted: “INC creates a new history by appointing Punjab’s first Dalit CM in Sardar Charanjit Channi. Let times record that this decision will singularly fortify social justice & open new doors of empowerment for our Dalit, Backward & disadvantaged brothers & sisters across India”.
The first Dalit Chief Minister of Punjab will be sworn in on Monday at 11 AM.