Ex-MLA Sunil Jakhar is new Punjab Congress president

CHANDIGARH: Former

Congress Legislative Party

(CLP) leader in Punjab

Sunil Jakhar

has been appointed as the new

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee

(PPCC) president on Thursday. He replaced Captain Amarinder Singh who has become the chief minister.

There had been indications that the party was keen on picking a Hindu leader for the post, especially after it managed to get a large chunk of votes from the community in the recently concluded assembly elections. Names of PPCC senior vice-president Lal Singh and Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu were doing the rounds.

However, once Lal Singh was appointed chairperson of the Punjab Mandi Board paving the way for Jakhar’s appointment.

After the news of his appointment came on Thursday afternoon, Jakhar had a meeting with Amarinder in Chandigarh.

In the recently held Punjab Assembly elections Jakhar had lost to political greenhorn Arun Narang of the BJP from his pocket borough of Abohar. However, he continues to be a key non-Jat leader of the party in the state. Jakhar was earlier expected to be accommodated in the Rajya Sabha alongside ex-state chief Partap Bajwa.

Jakhar has been a confidant of Amarinder but there were reports of him being sore over his case not being pushed for a Rajya Sabha nomination after he was replaced as the Congress Legislative Party leader.