Fresh rift in Congress? After Rawat says Sidhu will lead elections, Jakhar hits out

It is likely to undermine chief minister's authority, said Jakhar

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ ITDC NEWS E In what seemed to be evidence of fresh rift brewing up within the Congress party, Punjab leader Sunil Jakhar hit out at state in-charge Harish Rawat for his statement that the upcoming assembly elections will be fought under the leadership of Navjot Singh Sidhu. "On the swearing-in day of Charanjit Singh Channi, Rawat’s statement that elections will be fought under Sidhu is baffling. It is likely to undermine chief minister's authority, but also negate the very raison d’être of his selection for this position," he tweeted. Jakhar, former PPCC chief, was one of the major names in the list for replacement as the Punjab chief minister.

Rawat had earlier told news agency ANI: "It [the party face for upcoming state polls] will be decided by Congress president, but given the circumstances, the elections will be fought with chief minister's cabinet under Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, whose chief is Navjot Singh Sidhu. He is very popular," he told news agency ANI. He said the party unanimously chose Charanjit as the chief ministerial face. "The decision [to choose new Punjab CM] was taken only yesterday. We were waiting to meet the governor. The party was unanimous on Charanjit Singh Channi's name," he said.

Declaring that he felt humiliated, Amarinder Singh, a Congress veteran, on Saturday resigned as chief minister of Punjab, capping a months-long power tussle between him and Sidhu, who was recently made state party president much against the senior leader's wishes. Over 50 Congress MLAs had written to party president Sonia Gandhi seeking that Singh be replaced as chief minister.

Amarinder had launched a no-holds-barred attack against Sidhu, calling him "anti-national", "dangerous" and a "total disaster". The Congress veteran also said he won't accept Sidhu as the next chief minister or the party face in the upcoming assembly polls.