Exuding confidence, former Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat, in an exclusive interview with News18, said that people will vote “strongly” for his party in the February 20 Punjab elections, and “Punjabi will not go for an experiment”. .
After just two days of voting in Uttarakhand for the 70-seat assembly, Rawat said the Congress was “winning Uttarakhand with at least 48 seats”, and the party would claim a majority in Punjab as well.
The past few months have been tumultuous for the Congress in Punjab, with an alleged rift between state Congress Committee chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and Amarinder Singh, who eventually quit as chief minister and party, and Charanjit Singh Channi. got the top position. During this, Harish Rawat was the party’s state in-charge. As claimed by him at the time, Rawat still said, “All is well within the Congress in Punjab”.
‘There is no difference between Sidhu and Channi’
As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced Channi as the chief ministerial candidate in Punjab last week, Rawat said, “Channi is a very likely candidate. In his tenure of 111 days as the CM of Punjab, he has set an example for other Chief Ministers. He emerged as the CM of the common man. People thought he was their own CM. Punjab will definitely vote to make him CM again.
When asked about the alleged cold war between Sidhu and Channi, Rawat said, “There are no differences between Sidhu and Channi, they are working for the same party. One is the President, and the other is the Chief Minister.”
Sidhu has not commented directly on Channi, but his wife Navjot Kaur, herself a politician, and her daughter Rabia Sidhu have publicly expressed their displeasure.
However, Rawat said that Sidhu is supporting Channi. Sidhu is the PCC President. If Congress wins under his leadership, it will open possibilities for his future. Sidhu will be proud and the Congress party will also accept it,” Rawat explained.
Rawat said, ‘Congress formed the government in 2002 under my command, it is still working for me in politics.
‘ED raids back to normal’
With the Congress projecting Channi as the “common man’s chief minister” and a man rising from difficulties, the opposition is attacking the chief minister and the Congress in connection with the raid on his nephew in Punjab.
To this, Rawat said, ‘Wherever there is opposition to BJP, ED (Enforcement Directorate) raids have become commonplace. If there is no raid, it seems as if there is no protest. No one takes ED raids seriously. People have also understood that if you are not drawing BJP’s line then you will have to face ED.
On the issue of fielding his relatives and candidates against the Congress, Rawat said, “People vote for the party. Congress will manage and will call back these candidates till the last minute. Otherwise the mandate will be in favor of Congress. People in a border state do not give a fragmented mandate.”
Akali-AAP struggle will take our side’
Asked who is their main contender in Punjab, Rawat said, “The Akalis have tried to consolidate their vote, but I think Akalis and AAP will clash with each other and Congress will gain more from this.” .
“AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) does not have any mature leadership. He has a temperamental leadership which cannot work for any state. There are many politically mature leaders in the Congress. Punjab will vote for stability.
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