‘Baffling’: Sunil Jakhar slams Harish Rawat’s ‘elections will be fought under Sidhu’ statement

Chandigarh, Sep 20: Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Monday slammed party's state in-charge Harish Rawat over the latter's statement that Punjab assembly elections 2022 will be fought under Congress state unit president Navjot Singh Sidhu.

"Rawats's statement that "elections will be fought under Sidhu", is baffling. It's likely to undermine CM's authority but also negate the very 'raison d'être' of his selection for this position," Jhakar tweeted.

On the swearing-in day of Sh @Charnjit_channi as Chief Minister, Mr Rawats’s statement that “elections will be fought under Sidhu”, is baffling. It’s likely to undermine CM’s authority but also negate the very ‘raison d’être’ of his selection for this position.

— Sunil Jakhar (@sunilkjakhar) September 20, 2021

Rawat on Sunday said that the upcoming state assembly elections will be fought under Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu who is "very popular", given the state's present political circumstances.

Speaking to ANI, Rawat said, "It (Congress face for upcoming state assembly polls) will be decided by the Congress president, but given the circumstances, elections will be fought with the Chief Minister's cabinet under Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, whose chief is Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is very popular."

He further stated that Congress had yesterday itself unanimously decided to make Charanjit Singh Channi the next Chief Minister of Punjab.

"The decision (to choose the new Punjab CM) was taken yesterday only. We were only waiting to meet the Governor. The party was unanimous on Charanjit Singh Channi's name. We will try to ensure that he (Amarinder Singh) is there at oath-taking, but it's up to him," said Rawat.

Channi will succeed Captain Amarinder Singh, who resigned as the chief minister of Punjab on Saturday following months of infighting between him and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

These development came months before the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.