The star of Congress campaign, defeated Channi goes ‘missing’

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He has tweeted only twice since the poll results, to wish people for Holi and Hola Mohalla.

Channi was absent when now deposed Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu held two meetings with some party legislators. Having lost his seat himself, Sidhu was seen as trying to retain a say as the Congress takes a call on Leader of the Opposition.

Channi also remained silent when senior leader and former state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar again raked up the fierce tussle that had resulted in Channi emerging as the consensus name in the party as Amarinder’s replacement.

Jakhar, whose own chance was believed to have been scuttled after senior party leader Ambika Sonia stressed that the CM could only be “Sikh”, called Channi a “liability” besides accusing Soni of “trying to pull wool over the eyes of the high command”.

In an interview with The Indian Express after the results, Jakhar had said: “Thank God he (Channi) wasn’t declared a ‘National Treasure’ at the CWC by the ‘Pbi’ lady who proposed him as CM in the first place.” The Congress, Jakhar said, would have done better had Amarinder not been removed as CM.

Apart from Jakhar, the poll defeat has caused other Congress leaders to speak out over the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on the house of a nephew of Channi’s, just before the elections, where allegedly Rs 10 crore were discovered. Many said the raid had demolished the Congress’s projection of Channi as “the real aam aadmi”, as compared to rival bigwigs such as Amarinder and the Badals, and AAP.

As part of this campaign, Channi had been photographed milking a goat, stopping his cavalcade to talk to ordinary people, breaking into an impromptu bhangra and a game of football, apart from making populist announcements such as reducing electricity rates, slashing VAT on fuel, and decreasing rates of sand and gravel.