2022 Punjab polls to be fought under Amarinder's helm: Rawat

Just ahead of meeting four Congress dissident Cabinet ministers and three legislators, Punjab affairs in charge and AICC general secretary Harish Rawat, on Wednesday clarified that the 2022 Punjab Assembly election would be fought under the leadership of Amarinder Singh amid signs of revolt by the Navjot Singh Sidhu faction.

Ahead of meeting the Congress high command in Delhi, four 'rebel' Cabinet ministers, who were demanding change of guard in Punjab just ahead of polls to brighten the prospects of the party in the state, on Wednesday reached Dehradun to meet with AICC general secretary Harish Rawat.

The four ministers - Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Charanjit Singh Channi and Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria - a day earlier said here with the support of at least 20 other Congress legislators their main demand is to 'replace' Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

The 'rebel' legislators reached Dehradun in the morning to apprise Rawat about the mood of the public against the Amarinder Singh-led government in the state. They, among 20-odd party legislators, have been demanding replacement of Amarinder Singh as he failed to fulfill the 2017 poll promises.

Rawat told the media that Amarinder Singh had welcomed party state President Navjot Singh Sidhu himself, and the decision on elevation was not taken without the CM's approval.

"We have given the party leadership to Sidhu but not the Congress to him," Rawat was categorically clear in saying about any move to change the Chief Minister ahead of the assembly polls slated in early 2022.

The four ministers -- Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Charanjit Singh Channi and Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria -- a day earlier said here with the support of at least 20 other Congress legislators their main demand is to 'replace' Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

They said they wanted to apprise the high command over the widespread dissidence among the party ranks.