Channi or Sidhu? Rahul Gandhi is expected to announce the Punjab Congress CM’s face on February 6th.

The Congress Party has expected to announce its chief ministerial candidate for Punjab in February. It would put an end to speculation over whether the Grand Old Party’s face will be incumbent Charanjit Singh Channi.

In the meantime, Congress President Sonia Gandhi has begun conversations with party officials and workers. Through its Shakti app, the party is soliciting feedback from Congress leaders and workers. The party has also solicited the public’s input on the matter.

Over the last few weeks, both Channi and Sidhu have attempted to present themselves as chief ministerial contenders, either indirectly or explicitly.

The Congress‘s traditional vote bank has been the SCs and Scheduled Tribes (STs), but they have drifted away from the party with the formation of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and some other tiny organizations.
By selecting Channi, Congress hopes to solidify the SC vote bank, which accounts for over one-third of Punjab’s population.