Punjab Congress leader Jakhar quits electoral politics

Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, who was once being considered for the chief minister's post, has said he has quit electoral politics but would continue to remain with the party. "I am out of active politics. I have been saying this for the last five days. But I am very much part and parcel of the Congress,” Jakhar had said on Sunday in Ludhiana. He was replying to a question whether he will continue to be in politics. Jakhar was in Ludhiana  for party leader Rahul Gandhi's virtual rally.

A few days ago, Jakhar had claimed that 42 MLAs wanted him to be the chief minister of the state after the unceremonious exit of Amarinder Singh last year. After this revelation, the AAP had accused the Congress of doing politics on the basis of caste and religion while the BJP had questioned the "selective secularism" of the grand old party by "refusing" to make Mr Jakhar the chief minister "because of his religion". Sunil Jakhar was among the front runners for the chief ministerial post after the exit of Amarinder Singh. But the party preferred Charanjit Singh Channi, who became the first chief minister of Punjab from the Scheduled Caste community. Jakhar's nephew Sandeep Jakhar is contesting the February 20 Punjab Assembly elections as a Congress candidate from the Abohar seat.