Former AICC general secretary incharge of Punjab Congress affairs, Harish Rawat, who is also a party aspirant for the CM’s post in Uttarakhand, tells Kanchan Vasdev that Charanjit Singh Channi had proved to be a good CM for the state and this will help Congress net a repeat victory in the Assembly polls.
Half of Uttarakhand is in Punjab.
We are connected on the phone and if anyone coughs there, we get to know here.
I am getting this feedback that Congress is coming back with a great majority. People have only Congress to trust.
Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has proved that he is a good Chief Minister.
He has performed beyond my expectations took several decisions and modified some.
And he would put his foot down saying this decision would be taken in this way.
I was in a hurry as general secretary incharge, and I wanted all decisions taken before I quit.
The way he elaborated his reservations on decisions, I felt that his approach was correct.
He is a very patient man.
He has shown the depth that a CM should have. Channi Punjab will appreciate his leadership quality.
He is not a run-of-the-mill leader.
By naming Channi as CM, Congress is really satisfied.
The development has had an encouraging response across the country.
It has conveyed a message. Earlier, people used to think that states like Punjab are traditional said Channi .
There would not be any deviation from the traditions.
People felt Punjab is a forward looking state.
Will the Hindus vote for Congress?
Who else can bring stability, peace and development? These are the three concerns that Hindu voters of the state have always had.
AAP does not have mature leadership. Hindus would not go to Akalis.
They feel if they go to BJP then they will be isolated.
Hindus would want to be in the main baarat.
They will settle with Congress only.
In last few years that I have analysed, Hindus have taken decisions in a mature way.
Their decision has been centred around stability, peace and development.
They cannot turn to AAP. And Congress has not done anything that they will be offended.
I have not seen any such decision.
Not even during (former CM) Amarinder’s tenure that the government did something to convey a message to Hindus that they did not matter.
That is why I feel Hindus are, by and large, with Congress.
And the Jat Sikhs?
No Jat Sikh would want to go to Akalis, they do don’t have a solid face. Nobody would want to go with the BJP.
Then Capt Amarinder Singh is also ruled out because he has allied with the BJP. We have Navjot Sidhu, who is a Jat Sikh and is always there.
Sidhu is a leader. He is the PPCC president.
It is clear that if Congress wins the election then he will get credit.
It will go into his account. His stature in the party will also go up.
Then Sukhjinder Randhawa is there.
He has proved himself. He has shown that he is a good leader.
By naming Channi as the CM face, the Congress has finished Sidhu. He is not even campaigning for other candidates.
It is not like that. He is our ammunition for a bigger battle.
This is just a semi-final. Finals will be in 2024.
I was PPCC president in 2002, I got the credit even though I was not made the CM.
Sidhu is a wise man. He would not like to give up this credit.
You used to call him a Rafale of Congress for elections. But the party did not make use of that ammunition.
He is a democrat.
He has some old habits. And he is an honest man & an asset for any party. He has to make some amendments.
One learns with time.
What I used to be 20 years ago, I have changed a lot. Time teaches a lot. It is a great teacher.
He is our battle horse for a bigger battle.
Why would any soldier of Punjab want to leave this credit that he is responsible for Congress revival in Punjab.
Harish Rawat said If Congress wins in Uttarakhand, then I will get credit, even if someone wants to give it or not.
The recovery of Rs 10 crore by Enforcement Directorate from Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s nephew is a part of the narrative in the state.
ED raids have become a custom in the BJP regime.
It has become their identity.
In Punjab, this amount of money is peanuts.
Had it been some major scandal, that could have hurt Punjab, then it was a different issue.
Now, everybody knows that it is becoming customary that whenever there are elections, Modi ji will reach with ED and CBI. Rather, Modi ji and Amit Shah will reach later after ED and CBI.
I am surprised as to why I was not raided.
Now, Indian voters know that these raids are a part of Modi politics.
These will not impact Punjab any way.
Yuddh ke samay palayan karne wala koi yodha nahi kehklata.
The questions could have been raised after this battle.
He is my good friend.
I am sad at his departure but who quits battlefield midway is not a fighter.
In politics, nothing is permanent. It is about timing.
We will win this election under Channi’s leadership. Time brings about a change.
He himself took some decisions that showed that he was under pressure.
He was not fighting a winning battle.
There was a resentment against him in the party.
That is why CLP was called and he resigned before that.
It was his decision. He cannot blame anyone for that.
He was given so much of free hand.
No CM was given so much of free hand by the party.
There was a perception that he is surrendering the government under the diktat of someone else.
This had created unease in the Congress party.
When it became a perception, then we could not do anything. I would not like to say more about him.
See, you will agree with me on this that the section of society from which he comes, people do not view themselves on the scale of economical status. You have to see history also.
