Congress appeared to be a deeply divided house in Punjab, where the party in a sort of gamble changed its strongest face -- Captain Amarinder Singh --- just a few months before the polls and annointed a relatively lesser known Dalit face Charanjit Channi as the new Chief Minister, a close aide of Navjot Singh Sidhu.
While Sidhu's shadow loomed large over the change of guard in the state and in the selection of the new CM, the discomfiture over Sidhu's protege taking over the CM's post for the time being, raised many heckles in the party. Former Punjab PCC chief Sunil Jakhar, who was also in the race for CM's post, made it known first by declining the Deputy CM's post under Channi and then slamming AICC in-charge for Punjab, Harish Rawat, for the latter's remarks that polls would be fought under the leadership of Sidhu.
"On the swearing-in day of Shree Charanjit Channi as Chief Minister, Mr Rawat’s statement that “elections will be fought under Sidhu,'' is baffling. It’s likely to undermine the CM’s authority and also negate the very ‘raison d’être’ of his selection for this position," Jakhar tweeted about one-and-half hours before Channi took oath as CM.
That Channi, whose swearing-in was attended by Rahul Gandhi, became CM through the process of the intriguing elimination round in the AICC's decision-making was evident in the sudden announcement of his name when the candidature of a Jat Sikh CM candidate Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was almost final and his supporters had begun celebrations.
While the party high command was wary of announcing Sidhu's name for chief ministership, fearing a massive campaign against it by Captain Amarinder Singh, Rajya Sabha MP and senior-most leader from Punjab Ambika Soni declined the offer for chief ministership saying a Sikh should become the Chief Minister of Punjab. Randhawa's name had come after that but Sidhu, himself a Jat Sikh and tipped to be the next CM of the state after the poll, was learnt to have put his weight behind Channi.
The Congress's flip-flops over the issue continued for a month and its Punjab in-charge Rawat has repeatedly landed in a row over his remarks. This time after he remarked that Congress will fight the next Assembly polls in Punjab with Sidhu as its face.
Also Read | Hours ahead of Channi's swearing in, Rawat says Congress to fight 2022 Punjab polls under Sidhu
In the last week of August, Rawat had said the 2022 Assembly polls in the state will be fought under the leadership of Captain Amarinder Singh and Sidhu was given a clear idea that the party has not been handed over to him.
Soon after, Rawat had to clarify that the Punjab polls would be fought under the leadership of Gandhis and tried to reach out to both Sidhu and Captain calling for a united fight. But then again he had to tender an apology and sweep a Gurudwara's floor to atone for his casual "panj pyare" remarks to hail the new Punjab Congress team.
After Channi's name was finalised for CM, Captain Amarinder Singh made a cryptic comment saying that he hopes Channi will be "able to keep the border state of Punjab safe and protect our people from the growing security threat from across the border."
Read more: Congress explores Dalit dynamics by appointing Charanjit Singh Channi as Punjab chief minister
Kapil Sibal, a prominent leader from the G-23 Congress group that had sought drastic changes in the central leadership of the party, tweeted "Changing Guard Uttarakhand , Gujarat , Punjab Age old saying : A stitch in time saves nine. Will it ?" He appeared to raise questions on the change of guard in Congress-ruled Punjab.
That the party is looking much beyond Punjab by appointing Channi as CM was evident in the remarks of Congress Communication Department Chief Randeep Singh Surjewala -- "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".
Even Sidhu did not forget to tweet "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 !!"
The catch is will Congress be able to replace Channi and make Sidhu the CM if it wins the Assembly polls in 2022 given the kind of campaign around annointing a Dalit as the Chief Minister that the Congress is making now?
In Bihar, JDU's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had faced a similar problem in coming back to the CM's chair for few months after having appointed Jitan Ram Manjhi, a Maha Dalit as Chief Minister after JDU's massive poll debacle in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
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