Days after the BJP fielded AAP's lone MP Sushil Kumar Rinku as its Jalandhar candidate for the Lok Sabha elections, the buzz around Congress's face for the seat has gained momentum. With former CM Charanjit Singh Channi celebrating his birthday and supporters thronging his residence in Morinda on Tuesday with a cake donning 'Sadha Channi Jalandhar', speculations of him being fielded opposite Rinku, who was also with the Congress before he joined the AAP in April 2023, has been rife. Channi's family had organised a religious event at Morinda where supporters from Jalandhar led by Congress' Adampur MLA Sukhwinder Singh Kotli and party's Adampur coordinator Amritpal Bhonsle visited to greet the former CM. They brought along a cake, raised slogans of 'Charanjit Singh Channi Zindabad' and expressed their desire for him to contest from Jalandhar. Congress MLA from Kapurthala Rana Gurjit Singh also visited Channi on Tuesday and greeted him. He also indirectly hinted at Channi’s candidature from Jalandhar. When asked about the possibility of him being fielded form Jalandhar, Channi told mediapersons that he has always been with the people from the beginning, indicating his commitment to the region. Recently, Congress' Punjab in-charge Devendra Yadav and state party chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring visited Jalandhar to assess potential candidates for the Lok Sabha elections and local leaders endorsed Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary and Channi. Subsequently, the list of potential candidates was handed over to the Congress high command, with sources indicating that Channi, a prominent Dalit face, may be considered. As the Lok Sabha elections draw near, various leaders in the city have presented their claims for the Jalandhar seat. Even last year during the Jalandhar bypoll, which was triggered by the death of then sitting Congress MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh in January 2023 during Rahul Gandhi's first Bharat Jodo Yatra, Channi's name was under consideration for the seat. Channi had been actively engaging with the people of Jalandhar by making several visits to the region and meticulously exploring religious sites, acknowledging their political significance, and connecting with the local populace. However, at that time, Congress wanted to capitalise on both the emotional and sympathy factors associated with Chaudhary Santokh's untimely death. As a result, Chaudhary’s wife Karamjit Kaur was nominated as the candidate. Despite her candidacy, she lost to AAP's Rinku. Channi, who replaced Captain Amarinder Singh as Chief Minister in 2021, in the 2022 Assembly elections had campaigned extensively in Jalandhar and the Doaba region, which has a significant Dalit population. The Doaba region played a crucial role in Congress's performance in the 2022 Assembly elections, contributing to around 50% of the total seats won by the party in the state.
