Sunil Jakhar’s name has emerged as the frontrunner for the next Punjab CM as Captain Amarinder Singh submitted his resignation to the Punjab governor on Saturday evening. This development comes as a result of a power tussle that had been happening in the Congress ruling party in the state for quite some time now.

Reportedly the party wants a non-Sikh face for the next year’s elections to counter the rapid gains of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the state.

There are media reports that suggest that Congress wants a Sikh and a non-Sikh combination in the upcoming polls. Apart from Jakhar, the other names doing the rounds are Pratap Singh Bajwa and Ravneet Singh Bittu.

While Jakhar and Pratap Singh Bajwa are former Punjab Congress chiefs, Bittu is Beant Singh’s grandson.

With the state elections just four months away, the unrest in the state does not bode well for the Congress in Punjab. The Congress was hopeful that unrest might be solved after Amarinder Singh’s bete noire Navjot Singh Sidhu was appointed PCC president. But that wasn’t the case.

Sidhu, who is eyeing the chief minister’s post, however, is unlikely to be a probable choice for the chief minister’s replacement.

Report media also suggest that Congress is trying to balance equations in the state and is likely to appoint a Hindu face to the top post. Jakhar, for one, is believed to be close to the top brass.

In a cryptic tweet, Jakhar lauded Rahul Gandhi for the “bold” solution taken in Punjab to resolve the leadership crisis.

“Kudos to Sh Rahul Gandhi for adopting Alexandrian solution to this punjabi version of Gordian knot. Surprisingly, this bold leadership decision to resolve Punjab Congress imbroglio has not only enthralled congress workers but has sent shudders down the spines of Akalis,” he said.

Who is Partap Singh Bajwa?

He is an Indian politician who served as a member of the Lok Sabha, representing Gurdaspur in Punjab from 2009 to 2014. Son of Satnam Singh Bajwa, a three-time Member of Legislative Assembly Punjab and Minister in the government of Punjab, Partap did his schooling at Punjab Public School, Nabha.

In 1976, he started his political career and was appointed the President of Youth Congress in 1982 and soon rose to become the President of State Congress. He has served as a minister under chief ministers Beant Singh, Rajinder Kaur Bhathal, and Amarinder Singh.

Who is Ravneet Singh Bittu?

He previously served as the leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha from March 11 2021 to July 18, 2021. Bittu was elected to the Lok Sabha from Ludhiana and earlier from Anandpur Sahib.

As a Congress candidate from his constituency, he won the 2009, 2014 and 2019 general elections. He is also the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.