It’s do or die for former Punjab CM Charanjit Channi

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, June 3

Having lost from both the Assembly segments (Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur) that he contested in the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections as the Chief Ministerial candidate, it is a do-or-die contest for Congress candidate from Jalandhar Charanjit Singh Channi.

If Channi wins the contest, he shall be able to re-establish himself as a prominent Dalit leader of Punjab. But if the result is otherwise, he shall have to face a huge wrath not just from the rivals but also from within the party.

The 61-year-old leader, who earned a lot of popularity in his 111 days of CMship at the fag end of Congress tenure in 2022, has been trying hard to make a comeback in active politics once again. Knowing well about his popularity in the Dalit community of Doaba region, Channi was reportedly eager to contest from Adampur (reserved) Assembly seat of Jalandhar in 2022 but the party chose to field him from the two seats of Malwa region.

It was Channi’s wave that had helped Congress win five of nine Assembly seats from Jalandhar. Again during the Jalandhar bypoll last year post the demise of MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, Channi’s name was proposed from here as the candidate but the party made its choice clear for late MP’s widow Karamjit Chaudhary expecting sympathy wave.

Sensing him as a potential competitor, her son and Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary resisted his re-entry from Jalandhar as the party candidate with all their might with his mother joining the BJP and campaigning against Channi. Whether Channi wins or loses, it will have a direct impact on the Chaudhary family’s fate too.

From being dubbed as a womaniser via posters and social media campaign to being labelled as a corrupt leader over recovery of Rs 10 crore by the Enforcement Directorate from his wife’s nephew’s place, it was not easy for Channi to focus on his campaign. He even faced wrath for being anti-Valmiki and anti-Mazhbi Sikh for not supporting the community over the issue of reservation within reservation in the Supreme Court by ex-MLA of his own party Sukhwinder Danny.

To counter it all, Channi had to campaign aggressively holding as many as 22 poll meetings a day. His media managers daily uploaded pictures showing a large attendance of women and Channi comfortably sitting among them. He had to say it out 30 times in a day that he is not an ‘outsider’ and his ancestors hail from Jaitewali village of Jalandhar. There had been a massive campaign against him that he hails from Chamkaur Sahib 122 km from Jalandhar.

‘Even cycle has a stand’

• Former CM Channi took on all rivals saying it over and over again that even a cycle has a stand but not the party hoppers. The musical chairs that the other candidates played helped him tell people that he is trustworthy unlike them
• Sitting AAP MP Sushil Rinku left the party to join the BJP expecting more gains. His place in AAP was taken by Pawan Tinu, who was a probable candidate from SAD
• The void that Tinu left in SAD was filled by former Congress leader MS Kaypee. Only the Congress and the BSP had their own candidates in the fray