Birthday celebration to candidacy: Speculations of Channi as Congress’s Jalandhar face gain ground

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.