Amid Punjab leadership tussle, Channi skips key Congress meet for another MA exam

While he pursues another academic qualification, his absence at the CWC meeting, attended by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, did not go unnoticed.

This is the second time in recent weeks that Channi has skipped an event where Gandhi was to be present. He was absent from Lok Sabha on July 29 when Gandhi made a speech attacking the government. At that time Channi had chosen instead to appear at a function organised by his supporters in Faridkot in Punjab. His absence at the CWC meet, which discussed among others, the political situation in the country, including the roadmap to step up pressure on the Government on issues of students and the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple, led to lots of chatter within the party.

Channi and several other senior leaders close to him have mounted a campaign to unseat Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as the Punjab Congress president. They also want Channi to be declared the CM face and had led a very public and sustained campaign during the AICC in-charge Bhupesh Baghel’s two trips to the poll-bound state.

In this context, there have been reports that Gandhi may come to Punjab on a daylong visit at the end of August to address the discontent and resolve the issue once and for all.

Channi, however, is dismissive of the chatter about his absence from CWC meeting saying people are deliberately spreading negativity. “Tomorrow is my last exam for MA Public Administration. Going forward, I am planning to pursue another PhD, this time in Public Policy Reforms from Panjab University,” he said. An admit card of Channi for the MA examination emerged on the social media soon after the news came out that he was not attending the CWC meet.

Back in 2017, Channi had to appear in an MA examination. At that time, Gandhi, impressed with his commitment to academic priorities, had loaned him his campaign aircraft. Channi flew from Delhi to Chandigarh, appeared in the exam, and returned in the same aircraft for a crucial meeting for selection of candidates for the Assembly polls.

While Channi stayed away from Wednesday meeting, others from Punjab, including Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and former minister Vijay Inder Singla were in attendance. There had been widespread speculation that Gandhi may hold a separate meeting with Channi and other Punjab leaders on the sidelines of the meeting, a claim denied by the leaders close to the former CM.

“Had there been any such meeting, Channi would not have missed the CWC meeting. Here, the agenda was totally different and national issues were to be discussed. There was no chance of a meeting with Rahul Gandhi to discuss leadership issues of Punjab,” a party leader close to Channi said.

When asked by reporters in New Delhi about Channi choosing the MA exam over the CWC meeting, Randhawa said, “We wish him best of luck. He is going to be a doctor”.

Another Congress leader, who did not want to be named, said Channi is very passionate about the academic degrees that he acquires. “He also shares his result cards. Sometimes we joke whether he wants to become the CM of Punjab or the Vice-Chancellor of a university,” he said.

Channi was a councillor when he graduated in law from Panjab University. After being elected as an MLA from Chamkaur Sahib for the first time, he took time out to pursue MBA from Punjab Technical University. He was serving as the leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in 2016 when he completed his MA in political science from PU.