Punjab Polls 2022
Party must choose honest candidate for Punjab CM face: Navjot Sidhu's barb at Charanjit Channi after latter's nephew's arrest
New Delhi/IBNS: Two days ahead of the big announcement of Congress's chief ministerial candidate in Punjab, party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu launched a direct attack at his rival Charanjit Singh Channi on a day when the latter's nephew got arrested in connection with money laundering and illegal sand mining case.
Speaking to the NDTV channel on Friday, Sidhu said the party must choose someone "honest and with a clean track record".
The Punjab Congress chief also mentioned that the party must select someone with a backing of at least 60 MLAs.
In an open attack on his long-time rival, the cricketer-turned-politician said: "If you choose someone devoid of moral authority, devoid of ethics or someone who is dishonest and part of some corruption and mafia, then people will vote for change and bury you like a mooli."
"We need an honest candidate. Your destiny depends on what you choose. It is choice, not chance that determines your destiny. A 'mafia-type person' cannot implement your programmes. A person who himself is mafia protector-in-chief, how can he crack down on the mafia?" Sidhu told NDTV.
Sidhu is competing with current Chief Minister Channi in the race to be declared the Congress's CM face for Punjab.
Last month, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had said that his party will soon announce the name of the chief ministerial candidate for Punjab ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the state.
Amid the constant rivalry between Navjot Singh Sidhu and Charanjit Singh Channi, seen to negatively impact the party's campaign ahead of the election, the Congress MP had stressed that "two people can't lead, only one can".
Meanwhile, a local court on Friday remanded Bhupinder Singh Honey, nephew of Charanjit Singh Channi, to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till Feb 8 in connection with money laundering and illegal sand mining case.
Honey was arrested by the ED officials on Thursday night after he joined investigations at the Jalandhar office of the central agency.
Speaking to NDTV, Sidhu said: "I can't call myself a CM candidate. But how many people do you see that are celebrities and have won six elections?"
"Only people can choose the Chief Minister. The voice of the people is the voice of God. I can say that I am not responsible for what others do but Navjot Singh Sidhu chawanni rawadar nahin hai (Navjot Sidhu is no small fry)"," he said.
Punjab votes on Feb 20 and the results will be declared on March 10.
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