Charanjit Singh Channi is Congress’s CM face in Punjab

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will be the Chief Ministerial candidate of the Congress for the Assembly elections on February 20. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi made the announcement in Ludhiana on Sunday. Gandhi said most Congress candidates, leaders, workers and youth in the State preferred that someone from a poor family should become the State’s Chief Minister. Channi said he will function transparently as Chief Minister to change the State and urged the people to vote for Congress. “I sincerely thank the Congress High Command and people of Punjab for bestowing their trust in me. As you have seen us work so hard in the last 111 days to take Punjab forward, I assure you to take Punjab and Punjabis on the path of progress with new zeal and dedication,” Channi said. Gandhi said in his speech that the decisions in Congress are taken after discussions at various levels. He alleged that the BJP Government at the Centre, decisions are taken by two people. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is acting like a king and will never interact with common people to understand their problems. He said Channi belongs to a poor family and he is humble even after becoming the Chief Minister of the State. The Congress aims to attract 32 per cent of Dalit votes in the State by fielding Channi as the face of the campaigns. Being from a Dalit family, Channi tried to address some issues of the agriculture workers and poor farmers in the State. He claimed that Punjab has the lowest power tariff in the country and his government has made efforts to help farmers and workers. Channi faced tough challenges from PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu. Sidhu, however, said Channi has brought a lot of changes in the State in 111 days he got as Chief Minister. Sidhu said Congress is working for the benefit of people and said service delivery mechanism will be improved if the party retains power in the State. Earlier, the principal Opposition party AAP had announced that Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann will be their chief ministerial candidate. Channi attacked Mann and said running a State is responsible work and people like Mann won’t be able to do it. He said the Chief Minister should work for the benefit of the State and should not work based on diktats from Delhi.

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