Punjab Election 2022: Sunil Jakhar has quit active politics, claims MLA

Chandigarh, Feb 06: Hours before former Congress president Rahul Gandhi is set to announce chief ministerial face for the Punjab assembly elections, senior party leader Sunil Jakhar has reportedly quit from active electoral politics.

The AAP MLA and senior journalist Kanwar Sandhu on Sunday noon tweeted that former state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar has quit politics.

"A lot of unfortunate news emanating out of Punjab. Just heard the Sunil Jakhar is calling it quits due to unwarranted, irresponsible comments of his Punjab Congress colleagues. Sad to see a gentlemen politician go out at a crucial juncture," tweeted Kanwar Sandhu, the legislator from the Kharar assembly constituency.

"Being a journalist known Sunil Sunil Jakhar, the gentleman and a friend for long. Hope he will revisit his decision to quit active politics, and regale us with his witty one liners and we will also continue to get benefit of his poetic wisdom," he added.

Just days ago, Sunil Jakhar had claimed that 42 MLAs wanted him to be the chief minister of the state after the unceremonious exit of Amarinder Singh last year. Only two legislators favoured Charanjit Singh Channi.

Jakhar was among the front runners for the chief ministerial post after Amarinder Singh's resignation in September last year. But the party preferred Channi, who became the first chief minister of Punjab from the Scheduled Caste community.

"Forty-two votes went for Sunil (Jakhar), 16 for Sukhjinder Randhawa, 12 votes for Maharani Preneet Kaur (Amarinder Singh's wife and Patiala MP), six votes for Navjot Singh Sidhu and two votes for (Charanjit Singh) Channi," Jakhar said in the video.

He claimed he even declined the post of deputy chief minister offered to him by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

"Forty-two MLAs voted for me despite the fact that I was nothing at that time. I was not even PPCC president," Jakhar said, pointing out that the party had sought to know from the MLAs who they wanted to be the chief minister after the exit of Amarinder Singh.

"Seventy-nine MLAs were called up to ask who they wanted to be the CM. Sunil was not even an MLA," he added.

Notably, Amarinder Singh was forced to resign as the chief minister by the Congress amid a bitter power tussle with Sidhu.

The chances of Jakhar becoming the chief minister were scuttled after senior Congress leader Ambika Soni said the party should go with a Sikh face.