Congress, in an
uncharacteristic move, announced Punjab’s sitting chief minister, Charanjit
Singh Channi, as its chief ministerial candidate a few days ago. While a
fraught internal battle was fought between Channi and Navjot Singh Sidhu for
the chief ministerial position, things have calmed down since. Sidhu has
pledged support to Channi.

It is at this
moment of relative calm that Punjab MP Ravneet Singh Bittu said Sidhu will get
the post of “Super CM” if the Congress is voted to power again. “He will be
given Super CM post,” Bittu told ANI when asked which post will Navjot Singh
Sidhu get if Congress returns to power in Punjab.

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Ravneet Singh
Bittu, member of Parliament from Ludhiana and grandson of former Punjab CM
Beant Singh, further said, “Did Sidhu raise any questions on the decision to
choose Channi as the CM face? He welcomed the decision.”

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Charanjit Singh
Channi was made the Punjab chief minister when Captain Amarinder Singh resigned
after Navjot Singh Sidhu became the state Congress chief. Channi is Punjab’s
first Dalit chief minister.

Since taking over
the reins of the state, Sidhu and Channi have had a fraught relationship with
several public disagreements about ministerial appointments and other
government business. In the run-up to the polls, Sidhu had effectively pitched
himself to be the CM candidate in Punjab.

However, when Rahul
Gandhi finalised Charanjit Channi’s name as CM candidate, the cricketer-turned-comedy
show judge-turned-politician welcomed the decision and said, “During 17 years
of a political career, Sidhu never lived for any post, but always wanted Punjab’s
betterment and improvement in lives of its people.”

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Sidhu’s daughter
Rabia, however, is still upset with the decision to choose Channi as CM face
over her father. “Maybe they (party high command) had some compulsion. But you
can’t stop an honest man for long. Dishonest man will eventually stop.”

Attacking CM
Channi, Rabia said during a poll campaign, “Is Channi really poor? Check his
bank accounts, more than Rs 133 crore will be found.”     

Punjab goes to
polls on February 20. Fraught with tensions, the Congress continues to exert
influence in Punjab. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has named Bhagwant Mann as its
CM face in Punjab. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not named a chief
ministerial candidate in Punjab. They are fighting the elections in alliance
with Captain Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress and SAD (Dhinsa).