Cong president to decide who will lead the party in 2022 polls: Jakhar

Jakhar said there was a strong sentiment among the people of Punjab, and Congress MLAs and leaders that Amarinder should lead the party’s campaign in the next elections.

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Sunil Jakhar on Tuesday said people and party leaders want chief minister Amarinder Singh to lead the Congress in the 2022 state assembly polls, but the final decision will be taken by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

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Jakhar said there was a strong sentiment among the people of Punjab, and Congress MLAs and leaders that Amarinder should lead the party’s campaign in the next elections. “Capt has also stated his intention to contest the 2022 assembly elections. It is a welcome move,” he said in his first reaction to the chief minister’s statement.

Amarinder, who earlier called the 2017 battle his last election, had at a press conference via video-conferencing on Friday expressed his wish to contest the next assembly elections due in March 2022. The CM said he decided to continue in electoral politics on the persuasion of his party colleagues.

‘PURSUE CONG AGENDA, NOT PERSONAL’

On Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa’s advice to Amarinder to step down and make way for others, Jakhar said that as a party MP, Bajwa should behave responsibly. “If he is talking about brotherly advice, I think brothers should talk among themselves rather than going public. These kind of public utterances demoralise the party,” he said. The Punjab Congress chief said his advice to the party leaders in general will be to work for the agenda of the Congress and not pursue personal agenda. Bajwa has been increasingly critical of the state government, particularly the chief minister, in recent months.