It was a ‘Game of Thrones’ that led to the appointment of Charanjit Singh Channi Punjab After the chief minister, one after the other, the top contenders checked each other.
The inside story that emerged from the events of Saturday and Sunday reveals that the first name of the legislature party meeting on Saturday was that of former PCC chief Sunil Jakhar. Jakhar had the maximum support of the legislators. But for not being a turbaned Sikh, it worked against him. Senior minister Sukhjinder Randhawa also put forth his stand that a Jat Sikh should be the chief minister. Earlier, the high command had spoken to Ambika Soni, who refused citing this.
This brightened the prospects of Randhawa, who was seen as an aggressor against the Akalis and was expected to deliver on election promises faster and faster. Although he did not have as many MLAs who supported him, being a turbaned Sikh and from a second generation Congress family worked for him. Randhawa’s name was finalized and MLAs lined up for his house. Actually, Randhawa himself told some journalists that he has been finalised.
But here the game changed. On Sunday afternoon, when party observers camping at Chandigarh’s JW Marriott Hotel decided to make Randhawa the chief minister, objections came from Navjot Singh Sidhu, who asked why not him if Jat wanted to be the Sikh face. Sidhu also felt that Randhawa was too senior to listen to him after becoming CM and removing him in 2022 will not be so easy. But the observers told Sidhu that he was already the PCC chief and he could not have everything, to which Sidhu got up. And in a fit of rage, JW left the Marriott Hotel.
However, this ensured that Randhawa is now out of the race as the Congress high command wants a unanimous election. Then it was Manpreet Badal who came to everyone’s rescue under the name ‘Game Changing’.
Enter Charanjit Singh Channi. Manpreet Badal projected his close friend Channi as the first Dalit CM of Punjab as a game changer. Channi is known to be nice to Randhawa and Sidhu and is close to Rahul Gandhi. He was also seen as someone who would not be too tolerant, would stand on the line and silence the demands of the top Dalit faces of the BJP, the Akali Dal and the AAP. The Congress also saw this as sending a national message.
Sidhu was apparently on his way to Patiala when he came to know that the party has now finalized the name of Charanjit Singh Channi. Sidhu then returns to the middle of the hotel, satisfied with Channi, who is younger than him, and everyone accepts the decision. Randhawa also accepted Channi saying that he was like her younger brother. Channi was the winner after the other contenders met each other!
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