Brothers vie for Jalandhar Cantt ticket from alliance partners

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, January 23

In an interesting political development, two brothers from Jalandhar are vying for a ticket from one seat – Jalandhar Cantonment.

While elder brother Gurcharan Singh Channi is leader of the SAD (Sanyukt), his younger brother Amarjeet Singh Amri is the Jalandhar Rural chief of the BJP. Both parties have recently entered into an alliance for the forthcoming Assembly election.

Channi earlier was the SAD district chief and used to run the media office of Akali Dal in the election days in Chandigarh. He had been seeking ticket from Cantonment seat in 2017 Assembly poll from the SAD, but the party chose ex-MLA Sarabjeet Makkar. Since Channi was already at loggerheads with Makkar, he chose to quit the party over the decision of SAD chief Sukhbir Badal.

This made Channi stand politically apart from his brother, who stayed intact with the BJP. They, however, have maintained very good relations ever since.

Channi stayed away from active politics for a few years and concentrated on his businesses but he then joined SAD (Taksali), which merged with other Akali Dal breakaway factions to form SAD (Sanyukt). Recently, when the SAD (Sanyukt) allied with the BJP and Punjab Lok Congress of ex-CM Capt Amarinder Singh, the turn of events brought the two brothers as a part of the same alliance once again.

Channi and Amri laugh: “The fate wants the two of us to stick together socially as well as politically. It all happened by chance. Even earlier, we have never let different political stands affect our bonding.” Channi smiled: “Since the alliance is yet to allocate seats among themselves, both of us have claimed stake on Jalandhar Cantonment seat from our respective parties. Here again we have no differences. If my brother gets the ticket from the BJP, I will be more than happy and will withdraw my claim from my party.”