Ex-PPCC cheif Sunil Jakhar goes to Delhi with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi

CHANDIGARH: Former PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar, who narrowly lost out of the race to succeed Amarinder Singh as the new Punjab CM last week, accompanied Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday from Chandigarh to Delhi as the Gandhi siblings were on their way back from Shimla.
After rejecting the offer to become one of the two deputy CMs, Jakhar had taken to social media on Monday to make a veiled attack at party veteran Ambika Soni for suggesting that only a Sikh leader should be the Punjab CM, fuelling a narrative that killed Jakhar’s chances on Sunday.
It is believed that Rahul will soon give a go-ahead to the new faces to be inducted in CM Charanjit Singh Channi’s cabinet and both Channi and PPCC chief Navjot Sidhu are believed to have handed over the list of probables to party’s central leadership in Delhi on Tuesday.
Pargat and Verka could be in cabinet
The fact that only Jakhar, who has been sulking at the way the Hindu-Sikh card was played out, was called to the airport and no other Punjab Congress leader is an indication that the Gandhis would want to placate Jakhar. He is likely to be rehabilitated in a new role,” said a party leader.

Jakhar’s supporters were elated that Rahul reached out to the ‘miffed’ leader after he was made to make way for Sidhu as the PPCC chief. It is now being speculated that he could be offered a new position. He was already being considered to head the party’s campaign committee. With speculation about fresh faces being induced in chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s council of ministers, all eyes will be on outgoing ministers unlikely to be brought back.

It would be closely watched if the chief minister keeps the home portfolio with himself or gives it to deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. It is also to be seen whether loyalists of former CM Amarinder Singh will be dropped. Opposition parties have been pressing Congress not to bring back ministers facing corruption charges. While there is talk of inducting an OBC MLA, with Sangat Singh Giljian as the frontrunner, Raj Kumar Verka, Pargat Singh, Kuljit Singh Nagra could also make it to the Cabinet. There is also talk that outgoing minister Brahm Mohindra could be made the next speaker in place of Rana KP Singh and the latter could get a cabinet berth.
Outgoing ministers Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Vijay Inder Singla were considered close to Amarinder. “If need be, the CM or the PPCC chief will be called to Delhi on Thursday. Otherwise, they handed over the list of probable choices as ministers on Wednesday. Four to six new faces are likely to be brought into the cabinet,” said a party leader. After Channi’s swearing-in, Rahul took note of Jakhar’s tweet to object to AICC in-charge Harish Rawat’s remark that Sidhu will be the face of the party in 2022 and Congress later had issued a statement in Delhi to clarify its stand. Meanwhile, Channi is expected to visit Punjab Technical University campus in Jalandhar on Thursday morning.