The Indian National Congress (INC) is likely to declare its chief ministerial candidate for Punjab on February 6, ahead of the assembly election in the state, news agency PTI reported. This announcement will put an end to the suspense whether the current incumbent Charanjit Singh Channi or state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu will be the face of the Grand Old Party. 

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Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi is likely to make the big announcement during his visit to the poll-bound state on Sunday. During his recent visit to Punjab on January 27, Rahul Gandhi had confirmed that the party will fight the elections with a CM face and a decision would be taken soon after consulting party workers.

The Congress leader had even said that both the leaders had assured him that whosoever is chosen as the chief ministerial candidate, the other will support him. 

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Rahul Gandhi made the statement after Sidhu at the rally demanded that the party declare the CM face for the polls and said he doesn’t want to be a “showpiece”.

Over the past several weeks, both Channi and Sidhu have indirectly or directly tried to project themselves as the chief ministerial candidates. 

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The INC appears to be putting its weight behind Channi, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community and has been fielded from two assembly seats of Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur.

The SCs and Scheduled Tribes (STs) have been a traditional vote bank of the Congress, but they drifted away from the party following the emergence of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and some other small groups.

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The Congress is now seeking to consolidate the SC vote bank, which comprises almost one-third of Punjab’s population, by choosing Channi.

The 117-seat assembly election in Punjab will take place on February 20. It was initially supposed to be held on February 14 in a single phase but was postponed due to Guru Ravidas’ birth anniversary. 

Also read: Punjab elections: NDA seat-sharing details, BJP takes 65, PLC gets 37

Votes will be counted and results announced on March 10, 2022.