Setback for Sidhu, Congress unlikely to announce CM face for Punjab polls

Chandigarh, Dec 30: In a blow to Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was projecting himself as the Congress chief ministerial candidate for the 2022 assembly election, the party high command has decided not to declare a CM face in Punjab.

"We would never announced CM face before Assembly elections except in 2017, which was an exception. Now also we'll not announce CM face and will contest Assembly elections 2022 under the joint leadership of Congress," Chairman of the campaign committee of Punjab Congress, Sunil Jakhar told ANI.

However, Sidhu on Wednesday questioned the move during his interaction with a private news channel.

"Dulhe bin baraat kaisi," quipped Sidhu in an interview with CNN-News18, adding that announcing the Chief Ministerial candidate was crucial ahead of the polls.

"In 2017, the Congress party had declared Capt Amarinder Singh as the Chief Minister. We used to ask AAP about its CM face. And if the Congress does not announce the face of the Chief Minister this time, people would ask us, 'Who is your lada?" he said.

The Congress leader maintained that the Congress high command will take final decision in this regard.

It may be noted that the Congress high command has already conveyed that Punjab election will not be fought under an individual's name, but as a collective leadership. The move aimed at striking a balance among various communities of voters and infighting in the Punjab Congress.

Assembly elections in Punjab will be held in February or March 2022, to elect the 117 members of the 16th Assembly of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. The term of the current assembly elected in 2017 will expire on 27 March 2022 unless dissolved sooner.