Questioning Channi’s future as Punjab CM will be suicidal, says Congress leader Rana Gurjeet

Jalandhar, January 17

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has done an “exceedingly outstanding job” during his three months’ tenure and questioning his continuation as the CM after party comes back to power can be suicidal, Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh on Monday said.

“The issue of Chief Ministership was already settled for the Congress in Punjab three months back and there is no need for any further debates or discussions about it,” Rana, also a cabinet minister in the state government, said in a statement.

He expressed regret that confusing signals were being circulated about the fate of the Chief Minister when he was “leading from the front” and when elections had already been announced.

“When you already have a Chief Minister, who is doing a great job, why put a question mark about his continuation after winning the elections,” he asked.

He asserted it would be unfair to Channi to make him lead the party in elections and then keep suspense about his position in future.

“It will not only be politically unwise but suicidal,” he stated.

“When you have a ‘tried and tested’ Chief Minister, who proved his mettle in a brief period of three months, why do you want to experiment with someone unknown and untested?” asked the Kapurthala legislator.

Singh urged the party high command to set all speculations to rest by making Channi’s position clear in the interest of the party.

The Congress had appointed Channi as the Punjab chief minister after Amarinder Singh, the then CM, was made to resign in September last year.

Voting for Punjab’s 117 Assembly seats is scheduled to be held on February 20 and the counting will take place on March 10.