With just about 24 hours left for the Congress to announce its chief ministerial face for Punjab, the rumblings are nowhere over. The confusion prevails and even now some are asking whether it would solve the problem or accentuate the divisions within the party.
But with Rahul Gandhi having made a public commitment that there would be a CM face, the die is cast. By all accounts and feedback, Chief Minister Charanjit Channi seems to be ahead of PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
The fact that Channi is contesting from two seats and directly taking on AAP CM face Bhagwan Maan shows that the Congress wants him to be projected as the fighter. The Dalit credentials of Channi also make it tough for the Gandhis to ignore him, especially with Rahul Gandhi keen to put Congress on the Dalit mat in 2024.
But then Sidhu is no push over. When the Gandhis made up their mind that Captain Amarinder Singh had to be removed, it was Sidhu’s old enmity with the former CM that came in handy. Sidhu had put across a demand that he be made the PCC chief. The Gandhis realised that this was the only way Sidhu would help them complete the job of replacing the Captain and hence he was made the state Congress chief. But it hasn’t stopped at this. Sidhu and his supporters do have an eye on the CM seat and, if they are eased out by Channi, it may not go down well.
The Congress is scratching its head over what can be done to ensure that both sides are happy. So a third proposal has emerged which is that the CM post would go on rotation, that is, two-and-a-half-years each for the two leaders. This move, the Congress feels, may placate both Sidhu and Channi and will ensure that they work together.
But there are problems in this move. In Chhattisgarh, though no official announcement of rotation was made by the Gandhis, it was promised in private. But as is clear, it’s a word the Gandhis have found difficult to keep and the result is a constant tug of war between T S Singh Deo and CM Bhupesh Baghel. But a senior leader involved in the process told News18, “If we adopt this formula in Punjab, Rahul Gandhi will make it clear. There will be no ambiguity.”
But will it still make things clear? Or will the Opposition get a chance to take potshots at the party? Only February 6 will tell when Rahul Gandhi will visit Ludhiana.
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