People on top want a weak Chief Minister in Punjab who can dance to their tunes: Navjot Singh Sidhu

Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu today sent a subtle signal to the Congress high command, indicating that he is unwilling to settle for any other name than his as the party’s chief minister’s face for the Punjab Elections 2022. Addressing a gathering yesterday, Sidhu claimed that people at the top want a weak chief minister who can follow their instructions.

“If a New Punjab has to be made, it is in the hands of the chief minister…Two former chief ministers have taken Punjab to a downfall in the last 25-30 years. This time, you have to choose the chief minister. If there will be an honest CM at the top, honesty will flow till the bottom. If there will be a thief….it’s gone. Remember my words, Singapore is one of the biggest economies in the world. To end corruption, they said – punish people at the top….People at the top want a weak chief minister who can dance to their tunes. Do you want such a chief minister?” said Sidhu as his supporters sloganeered, “Hamara CM kaisa ho, Navjot Sidhu jaisa ho (our CM should be like Navjot Sidhu)”

The development comes just days before the Congress party’s likely announcement of the party’s chief ministerial candidate in the poll-bound state. Rahul Gandhi is likely to announce a name during his virtual rally in Ludhiana on Sunday and incumbent chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi is said to be the front runner.

For the last few months, 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.

Channi replaced Amarinder Singh as the chief minister in September last year. He is the first Scheduled Caste (SC) chief minister of Punjab.

Polling for the 117-member Punjab Assembly is scheduled to be held on February 20 and the counting of votes will be taken up on March 10.