Punjab Assembly Polls: Rahul Gandhi to Name Congress’ CM Face Today During Ludhiana Rally

 The Congress party would announce Punjab's CM face "respecting the sentiments of the Congress workers and people of Punjab".

New Delhi: After dithering to declare Punjab’s chief ministerial candidate for a long time, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will finally announce the CM face for the state on Sunday while addressing a virtual rally in Ludhiana. The party would do so “respecting the sentiments of the Congress workers and people of Punjab”.

Party state in-charge, Harish Chaudhary said respecting the guidelines of the election commission, the candidates of the party from all 117 constituencies will attend the virtual rally by maintaining the gathering at their respective venues as per the permissible limit.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu said that a chief ministerial face will decide whether 60 candidates are elected as MLAs or not. He was referring to the number 60, one more than 59 lawmakers needed to form government in Punjab with 117-member assembly.

Without naming any party, Sidhu made the remark ahead of the announcement of the Congress’ chief ministerial face by the party’s former president Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Ludhiana for the February 20 Punjab assembly polls. Sidhu also stressed that a person who has a roadmap for Punjab and who enjoys the people’s trust can only ensure 60 contestants get elected as legislators. Notably, a party needs 59 seats out of a total of 117 assembly segments for forming the government in Punjab.

For the last several weeks, both Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu have, directly or indirectly, made a case for themselves to be declared as the party’s nominee for the top post.

Addressing the media in Amritsar on Saturday, Sidhu who is contesting from Amritsar East seat, said he was never a worshipper of power . But today Punjab has to decide a big thing. A person will become CM if there are 60 MLAs. Nobody is talking about 60 MLAs. Nobody talks about on which roadmap the government will be formed, he said. Sidhu again batted for his Punjab Model for bringing the state back on its feet. It is not Sidhu’s model but the state’s model and if anyone has a better model he will accept that too.

He said, Sixty MLAs will be made by that person who has a roadmap and enjoys people’s trust. The truth is that the face will decide whether 60 (contestants) become MLAs or not.

Punjab will go to the polls on February 20. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.