CHANDIGARH: Former Punjab Chief Minister and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday ruled out any possibility of an alliance between the Congress and the ruling AAP in the state, even if a hung Assembly emerges after the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Speaking on the second day of his “Jawani Sambhal Yatra” in Samrala, Channi asserted that the Congress would never join hands with AAP.
Meanwhile, the yatra's entry into Ludhiana brought renewed attention to factionalism within the state Congress, as loyalists of former Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring stayed away from the event.
Speaking to the media in Samrala during the second day of his “Jawani Sambhal Yatra”, Channi explicitly ruled out any tie-up with AAP. He asserted that the Congress would never join hands with the ruling party.
He claimed, “In case a hung government is formed, then the alliance would be that of the BJP and AAP, and not AAP and the Congress.”
Channi further said that the BJP and SAD were hand in glove and that the two parties had never separated. “AAP has also surrendered to the tunes of the BJP due to ED and other raids. It's only the Congress that can bring justice to the people of Punjab,” he added.
Admitting that the Congress might have committed a few mistakes, Channi said the bicycle yatra had started from the soil of the Gurus at Chamkaur Sahib, with a pledge to bring Punjab, which had lost its sheen in recent years due to governments with vested interests, back on track.
He added that the Congress was not going to make hollow claims of generating revenues worth Rs 20,000 crore, as Arvind Kejriwal had done, but would do what was practically possible.
“By showing the face of Bhagwant Mann as Chief Minister, Kejriwal has ruined Punjab like a termite infestation. But the Congress government, if it comes to power, will hold everyone accountable for putting Punjab in economic distress. Besides, 750 innocent persons lost lives due to black laws for farmers on borders. It was the Congress that extended a helping hand to the kin of those who lost their lives,” Channi said.
Channi launched the 'Jawani Sambhal' cycle rally from Chamkaur Sahib on Thursday in the presence of Punjab Congress in-charge Sachin Pilot and several senior party leaders. However, the absence of former Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring drew attention amid repeated assertions by the party leadership that the Congress remained united.
The rally saw the participation of newly appointed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Pargat Singh, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, senior MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh, and MPs Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Gurjeet Singh Aujla and Amar Singh, among others.
As the yatra entered Ludhiana on Friday, loyalists of Ludhiana MP Warring openly expressed their anger over the manner in which he had been sidelined from Channi's ongoing “Jawani Sambhal Yatra” and chose not to participate.
Senior Congress leaders in Ludhiana said they had neither been informed nor invited and therefore saw no point in taking part in the yatra. Former minister Surinder Dawar said they stood by whatever Raja Warring decided, pointing out that neither Warring's photograph nor that of district president Sanjay Talwar appeared on the hoardings, which he said was uncalled for.
“How would we be part of any yatra when our own leaders are neglected by the organisers?” he asked.
Former MLA Kuldeep Singh Vaid, who represented the Gill constituency, said they supported Raja Warring. “If he is not invited, we will not be a part of the event,” Vaid said.
The yatra was scheduled to pass through different constituencies, with local in-charges expected to welcome it at various points in the East, Central and North constituencies, represented by district president Sanjay Talwar, Surinder Dawar and Rakesh Pandey, respectively. However, Warring had convened a meeting of his loyalists at Vaid's residence the previous evening, and they chose to stay away from Channi's yatra.