Charanjit Singh Channi, Navjot Singh Sidhu attend screening panel meeting, discuss first list

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 22

Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and CM Charanjit Singh Channi landed in Delhi late Wednesday evening to attend the crucial screening committee meeting, chaired by senior Congress leader Ajay Maken.

The screening committee is meeting for the second time to finalise candidates for the 2022 Assembly elections. Former PCC chief Sunil Jakhar and Punjab Affairs incharge Harish Chaudhry were also present in the meeting. The central election committee meeting is scheduled in the coming days. The first list of the candidates (said to be nearly 50) could be released soon.

Meanwhile, Congress MPs, during a meeting of the campaign committee chaired by Sunil Jakhar today in Delhi, stressed the need for the CM and Sidhu to bring them on board.

CM Channi did not attend the meeting as he was busy in a rally at Gidderbaha. Sidhu, who left for Delhi in the morning, also did not attend the meeting. It was pointed out that all party leaders were needed to be taken on board if the campaign was to be taken forward. This was the second meeting of the campaign committee chaired by Jakhar, a former PCC Chief. Today’s meeting was called to elicit views of the MPs. The issue of reining in the mafia and taking to task those behind the SC scholarship scam was not addressed.

Sources said it was pointed out that instead of focusing on three months of achievements during the Channi government, the good works done during the past five years also needed to be talked about.