'An Asset - R U Joking?': Sunil Jakhar Alleges Charanjit Channi's 'Greed' Pulled Down Congress In Punjab

Senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar has made open his displeasure over the choice of Charanjit Channi as Punjab's chief minister, blaming him for the party's downfall in the recently concluded polls.

New Delhi: Senior Punjab Congress leader Sunil Jakhar on Monday came down heavily on former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi saying that he has been a "liability" for the party and his own "greed" pulled him down in the state along with the party.

This reaction comes after Punjab voters delivered a humiliating defeat for both Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal alliance as many of their stalwarts lost in their constituencies to Aam Aadmi Party's candidates.

A report on the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, which took place on Sunday, mentioned that according to party leaders, Charanjit Channi was pulled down by the party's own top brass in the state. They called him an "asset Rahul Gandhi created for Punjab and India," the report read.

Reacting to it, Sunil Jakhar wrote: "An asset - r u joking? Thank God he wasn’t declared a ‘National Treasure' at CWC by the 'Pbi' lady who proposed him as CM in the first place. May be an asset for her but for the party he has been only a liability. Not the top brass, but his own greed pulled him and the party down."

Speaking to news agency ANI, the former Punjab Congress president further elaborated on his statement saying that the "idea of my tweet was not to accuse anyone of anything. Disappointing to see the kind of sycophancy played out in CWC yesterday."

"Report suggests certain leaders who've been Rajya Sabha MPs for 30 years, claim to be Punjab's voice in CWC are hoodwinking party high command," he added.

According to Sunil Jakhar, the recommendation for Punjab chief minister's post "was done by these very people."

"Instead of acknowledging it, they are trying to put it on Rahul Gandhi. People of Punjab wanted to change, but the person who was projected was caught with his hand in the til. The remedy was worse than the disease," he remarked, as quoted by ANI.

The senior Congress leader further stressed that the party's workers want someone whom they can believe in, "a Punjabi leader sitting in CWC is trying to project him as a national treasure. He may be a treasure for her but not for Congress. The next 5 years will be challenging for Punjab and party."

The infighting in Congress leadership first between former CM Capt Amrinder Singh and Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu, then between Charanjit Channi and the PPCC chief hogged headlines for long ahead of the polls.

Notably, a video of Sunil Jakhar had gone viral amid the heated campaign phase where he was seen claiming that he was the most preferred CM candidate among Congress leaders after the party ousted Amarinder Singh, but he was denied the post because he does not belong to the Sikh religion.

In the Punjab election, the AAP romped home by winning 92 seats in the 117-member Punjab assembly, decimating the Congress and the SAD-BSP combine.