Chandigarh: Ahead of assembly polls in Punjab, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday cleared the party’s future line of action in the run-up to the elections and said the people of the state will choose the Chief Minister and not the high command. Addressing media to unveil the basic income agenda of Congress’ ‘Punjab Model’, Sidhu emphasised that his war is not against any individual but he’s fighting for the benefit of the state with a revenue-based model.
Punjab is not the “property of an individual”, he said and asked people to not have any ‘false implication’ in their minds. “Who told you that the high command will choose the CM? MLAs, as well as the CM, will be chosen by the people,” he stated.
#WATCH | People of Punjab will decide who will be the CM. Who told you that the (Congress) high command will make the CM?: Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu pic.twitter.com/AXC0yFWARj
— ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2022
While Sidhu was addressing media to unvail the party’s ‘Punjab Model’, the faces of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, along with former PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar were missing from the banner behind him. However, the poster had pictures of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and along with Navjot Sidhu himself.
When asked about his tussle between him and CM Channi, Sidhu categorically evaded question and said the agenda he was presenting was with the consent of the Punjab affairs general secretary. “If Channi has shown intent to run government in 111 days, I am talking about policymaking for the next five years. There should be no confusion and false implications,” he said.
Interestingly, Though Sidhu had supported Channi’s appointment as the Punjab chief minister, but immidiatly hit out at him over new appointment of cabinet minister and several top-level police officials.
Launching his Punjab model, Sidhu said if Congress comes to power in 2022m it will set up liquor corporation, cable corporation, mining corporation, river water corporation, and transport corporation to boost revenue and check revenue pilferage.
Meanwhile, Congress constituted Manifesto Committee and Campaign Committee of Punjab Congress ahead of the polls. The 20 member menifecto commitee will be headed Pratap Singh Bajwa with Manpreet Badal as co-chairman and Amar Singh as convenor. While, the 25 member Campaign commitee will be kead by former Punjab congress chief Sunil Jakhar, with Amarpreet Shigh Lally as Co Chairman and Ravneet Singh Bittu as Convenor.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday announced the date of polls for Punjab along with four other states and issued some restrictions in view of the COVID-19 infection. The poll panel also informed that the counting of votes in all five states will be done on March 10.
In the wake of the COVID-19 surge, the ECI directed that no physical political rallies and roadshows will be allowed till January 15, however, further rallies and election campaign meetings will be allowed only in earmarked places and with prior permissions of district administration.
“No roadshow, Pad-yatra, cycle, bike, vehicle rally and procession shall be allowed till 15 January 2022. The commission shall subsequently review the situation and issue further instructions accordingly. Further, rallies and meetings shall be allowed only in earmarked places and with prior permissions of district administration,” said ECI.
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