Channi denies Jakhar’s claim, says was never in queue for CM post

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The infighting within Punjab Congress took a new turn on Thursday after Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi denied senior party leader Sunil Jakhar’s claim and said no such internal voting happened ever.

Channi told the media, “Why would someone vote for me when I was never in the queue after Captain Amarinder Singh was brought down from the CM seat. No such voting happened at that time.”

On Tuesday, addressing a public meeting in Abohar, Jakhar said: “There were 42 MLAs in my favour, only two MLAs took Channi’s name as chief minister.” He also claimed that he declined the post of Deputy Chief Minister offered to him by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal too jumped the gun and tweeted, “Congress is asking people in Punjab to choose between Channi ji and Sidhu ji as the CM face. Why did Congress not include Jakhar ji’s name?”

With this tweet, many politicians are trying to give it a Sikh-Hindu colour saying that Congress is more inclined to have a Sikh face as CM face of Punjab and trying to demean Hindus in the Punjab.

Commenting on the issue, Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma told The Daily Guardian: “Congress believes in divide and rule policy. We never support such politics of religion. Everyone beyond cast and creed is equal and shall be given fair chance to contest and prove their calibre. It is Kejriwal’s politics to give it a colour of Sikh or Hindu but it is actually a fight for a chair inside the Congress party.”