Amritsar: Discontent in the Punjab Congress unit has intensified after Rahul Gandhi announces Charanjit Singh Channi as party CM face for Punjab.

Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakar has announced that he will quit active 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,” Mr Jakhar had said on Sunday in Ludhiana, just an hour before Rahul announces Channi as party CM face for Punjab, the state will go for the polls on February 20.

A few days ago, Mr Jakhar had claimed that 42 MLAs supported him for the CM post after the party asked captain Amarinder Singh to resign.

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 dethrone of  Amarinder Singh from CM post. But the party preferred Charanjit Singh Channi, who became the first Dalit Chief Minister of Congress. Party President Navjot Singh Sidhu has supported him.

After Channi became the Chief Minister, new turmoil has started in the party, few decisions of the Chief Minister did not go well in the party. Mr. Sidhu has opposed the decisions of Mr. Chenni including the appointment of the Advocate General and DGP of Punjab.

After Congress announced Channi as party CM face for Punjab, Punjab Lok Congress (PLC), led by Captain Amarinder Singh taken a jibe at Sidhu by using the hashtag ‘#CurtainsForSidhu’ on its Twitter handle.  PLC has shared a photo in which Rahul Gandhi, Channi, Sidhu and Jakhar held each other’s hand and raised it as a show of unity. But accidentally, Sidhu's face got covered with his shawl. Tagging that picture in the Twitter handle, PLC said that “a picture is worth a thousand words”.

Before Rahul Gandhi announcing Channi as CM candidate of the party, Mr. Sidhu said in a tweet, Nothing great was ever achieved without an act of decision. A warm welcome to our leading light Rahul Ji, who comes to give clarity to Punjab.. All will abide by his decision!!!”.

Just two days before Rahul's arrival to Punjab, Sidhu openly aired his displeasure against party high command, said that ‘people at the top want weak Chief Minister’.

And party decision of dropping senior Congress leader Manish Tewari from star campaigner list. Mr. Tewari was vocal against party high command.