NEW DELHI: The Congress will contest the Punjab Assembly elections next year under the leadership of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. Former party chief Rahul Gandhi will kickstart the party’s election campaign formally on January 3 from Moga.
In fact, contesting elections in Punjab under the leadership of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will not be easy even for the Congress leadership.
Punjab Congress state president Navjot Singh Sidhu has been continuously opposing this, so the visit of Rahul Gandhi is being considered by the Congress leadership as a move to reconcile Sidhu and Channi.
Last week to douse similar controversy in Uttarakhand, Rahul Gandhi pacified the matter and decided to contest the elections under the leadership of former Chief Minister Harish Rawat.
It is worth mentioning that assembly elections are due in Punjab early next year. The Congress party has intensified its preparations for the elections.
Recently, the Congress organized two screening committee meetings in Delhi for the selection of candidates in which Channi and Sidhu were also present. Besides this, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi had held a meeting of Punjab MPs in which former party leader Captain Amarinder Singh floated a new political party and joining hands with the BJP was also discussed.
It is being considered that Amarinder Singh has been in touch with several Congress leaders in the state. Party sources say that at least 17 party MLAs are in touch with the former Chief Minister, who has floated Punjab Lok Congress after his unceremonious exit from the party.
The party leader said that to control the damage in the state, Congress is planning to kick start its poll campaign with Rahul Gandhi on January 3.
Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Punjab will come after a gap of 15 months. He had gone to Punjab to join the farmers’ protest. The party leaders said that Moga has been finalised as this district is situated in the centre of Punjab.