'CM's face in Punjab to be announced after consulting workers'

Chandigarh: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday ducked the question of the chief ministerial face for Punjab and said he would announce this soon after consultation with party workers.

Addressing a virtual rally for the upcoming Assembly polls in Punjab at Jalandhar, Gandhi said both Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and State Party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu have asked him to announce the CM's face, but he would name it only after consultation with the party workers.

"Both Channi and Sidhu have assured me that they would work wholeheartedly for whoever is named by the party leadership to head the future Punjab government," Gandhi said.

He said two people cannot lead the state, as there has to be only one CM, adding that he was happy that both the party leaders had assured him to work for whoever he names as the chief ministerial face.

"I will announce the name soon, but will consult the party workers before this," Gandhi added.

Before Rahul began his speech, Channi, too, said that there was no fight between him and Sidhu over leadership issues and both were working for bringing Congress back to power.

Gandhi hit out at the BJP for unemployment, demonetization, and now repealed farm laws.

Lauding Punjab's contribution to the nation, Rahul Gandhi said that the State gave India a PM in Manmohan Singh who was not just a prime minister but a political ideology in himself.

He said that the country could never forget the contribution of Manmohan Singh.

He said he had learned a lot from Sardar Manmohan Singh.

After finishing his speech, Gandhi posed with Channi, Sidhu and other senior party leaders with hands raised in unison to exhibit "unity" within the party known for infight between various factions.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi paid obeisance at Golden Temple in Amritsar along with his party candidate.

He also paid obeisance at Durgiana Temple and Bhagwan Balmiki Tirath Sthal.

His arrival at Jalandhar was delayed as he reached Amritsar three hours behind his schedule due to bad weather.