Punjab Poll: Channi To Contest From 2 Seats. “Told You,” Says Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi, Jan 30: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi will contest from Bhadaur constituency, the Congress announced today as it released its third list of eight candidates for Punjab Assembly elections.

The party had earlier announced Channi’s candidature from Chamkaur Sahib seat, a seat from where he is the sitting MLA and which he has been representing since 2007.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose Aam Aadmi Party is also in the race, took a swipe at the choice of two seats for Channi.

“I had said that according to our survey, Channi ji is losing from Chamkaur Sahib. Today Congress has announced that it will contest from two seats. Does this mean the survey is true?” Kejriwal tweeted soon after the announcement was made.

Is it true that Channi sahib went to a different mining site today n not the one visited by Raghav yesterday? And Channi sahib declared it as legal, whereas the one visited by Raghav is a different site and is illegal. How can a CM be sooo blatant?

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 5, 2021

Charanjit Singh Channi, 58, the first time Chief Minister, took over the top job in Punjab in September after the Congress sacked Amarinder Singh – who was involved in a bitter and protracted tussle with state party chief Navjot Sidhu.

Navjot Sidhu’s ties with the new Chief Minister have been far from smooth as neither is willing to pass up on the top job.

With a raging Navjot Sidhu versus Charanjit Singh Channi rivalry threatening to hurt the Congress campaign for next month’s Punjab election, Rahul Gandhi, earlier this week, announced that the party will soon announce a Chief Minister candidate, adding that “two people can’t lead, only one can”.

Rahul Gandhi said the party will consult Congress workers before making the decision.

Navjot Sidhu, contesting from Amritsar East, “assured” Rahul Gandhi that he would accept his decision, no matter what.

Punjab votes next month with four other states and the results will be declared on March 10.