"Only One Cong. CM's Face Will Be Announced," Says: Source

Rahul Gandhi will announce CM's Face in Ludhiana

Punjab/ New Delhi: Days before the upcoming Assembly election, Congress today denied rumours of a rotational chief minister arrangement in Punjab. Rahul Gandhi will announce just one name as the chief ministerial candidate tomorrow, sources said.

As of now, rumours were floating that Rahul Gandhi will announce two names for the chief ministerial's face in his Ludhiana visit on Sunday, ahead of the Punjab polls. The two names might accommodate state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and current chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

This comes a day after CM Channi's nephew Bhupendra Singh Honey was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an illegal sand-mining case.

A jittery Mr Sidhu has stepped up his attack on his party as Mr. Channi seems to be the frontrunner for the post.

The state Congress chief Mr. Sidhu had yesterday launched a direct attack at his rival Charanjit Singh Channi and said the party must choose someone "honest and with a clean track record".

While slamming his rival, Mr. Sidhu seems to be validating the Aam Aadmi Party's accusations of Mr. Channi being the sand mining 'mafia' and protecting criminals involved in illegal sand mining.

"We need an honest candidate. Your destiny depends on what you choose. It is choice, not chance that determines your destiny. A 'mafia-type person' cannot implement your programmes. A person who himself is mafia protector-in-chief, how can he crackdown on the mafia?" Mr. Sidhu had said.

Mr. Channi has been nominated from two assembly constituencies leading to speculations around him being favoured by the party and allowing him a backup chance if he loses in one of the seats.