Chandigarh: Senior Congress leader and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Randhawa on Friday said that none of the party leaders were interested in the chief minister’s chair and that the only aim was to form a Congress government in Punjab.
Addressing a rally in Balachaur, Randhawa said the Congress was united and wanted power for the party, regardless of who became chief minister. Notably, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and senior leader Pratap Singh Bajwa, both seen as contenders for the CM post, were not present on the stage at the time. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh were present at the rally.
Randhawa said the Congress would function as a single group and leadership decisions would be taken as per the direction of senior observer Bhupesh Baghel. He said those who truly belonged to the Congress ideology would lead the party in Punjab and that the chief minister and party president would be chosen as directed by the central leadership.
Later, at a rally in Samrala, Raja Warring also dismissed speculation over multiple chief ministerial faces. He said he was not a candidate for the post and accused the media of creating unnecessary buzz about five potential CM faces.
In 2022, after the Congress removed Captain Amarinder Singh from the chief minister’s post, Randhawa was among the frontrunners for the position after Sunil Jakhar. He had even received a call indicating he would be made chief minister and celebrations had reportedly begun at his residence. However, amid objections within the party and differences over leadership, the Congress eventually appointed Charanjit Singh Channi as chief minister.
