Punjab Power Tussle: Channi Picked for RaGa's Jaipur Rally, PCC Chief Quips 'No Change Without Power'

Hours after Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi attended the Congress’s mega rally in Jaipur, the party’s star campaigner Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday said he ‘cannot bring change without power’, exposing chink’s in the grand old party’s claim that all is well within the Punjab Congress.

The state Congress was aware of Sidhu’s absence at the Congress rally attended by party president Sonia Gandhi and other top party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. Sidhu’s absence fuelled speculations of an upset Punjab Congress chief as he is considered to be one of the star campaigners for the party.

Party sources said that the delay in declaring the list of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) office-bearers and the district presidents by the party high command has emerged as the latest flashpoint in the tussle between him and the party high command. Sidhu had said he had handed over the list to the party leadership and was awaiting its clearance. Insiders said that the party high command had delayed the declaration as some changes were being made following representation by some MLAs and ministers.

In what seemed to be a clear message to the high command, the PCC chief said he would not take the responsibility of bringing the party to power if the sand, liquor and cable mafias continued to thrive after the 2022 Assembly elections.

While Sidhu said his commitment to Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi was unquestionable, he said he could not bring change without power. “I cannot cheat Punjab. The commitment was made for the betterment of Punjab, and not just being instrumental in bringing the party to power,” he said.

The PCC chief attended a public interaction event organised by NGO ‘Bolda Punjab’ in Chandigarh. “If anybody says I should shoulder responsibility and make the government and after that see the sand, liquor and cable mafias thriving, Sidhu will die but not be a witness to all this,” he said.

Continuing his subtle digs at the Channi government, Sidhu said Punjab would not change by offering lollipops and spreading lies. “Punjab needs vision and research-based policies for budgetary allocations,” he said yet again, indicating a tussle in relations between the two senior Congress leaders.

Read all the Latest Politics News here