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Former CM Charanjit Channi’s presence in Jalandhar constituency upsets Chaudhary family
Two-time MP late Santokh Singh Chaudhary’s son and Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary dubs Channi, who has been camping in Jalandhar, an ‘outsider’
The kin of two-time MP late Santokh Singh Chaudhary on Tuesday dubbed former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi an ‘outsider’ as the race to secure Lok Sabha ticket from Jalandhar heats up. Santokh Chaudhary died after suffering a cardiac arrest during Bharat Jodo Yatra in January 2023.
Channi, who has been camping in the city for the past few weeks attending various social events, is being dubbed as the top contender for the ticket, leaving the Chaudhary clan ‘miffed’.
Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, son of Santokh Singh Chaudhary, said his family has a long association with the Congress party, which goes back over 95 years and “people like Channi, who is an outsider, can’t stake claims on the Jalandhar seat.”
“Channi has no moral right to contest anywhere from Punjab because even as a chief minister, he forfeited his security during the 2022 assembly elections from two segments. People of Jalandhar will not accept any outsider, who is known for poll gimmicks during his tenure as CM,” Vikramjit said.
The Chaudhary clan has a rich political legacy and is considered a key loyalist of Congress in the region. The family has had clout in the Dalit politics of Doaba and has been politically active since 1936. Santokh’s father, Master Gurbanta Singh, was a seven-time MLA and in 1972 was elected unopposed. He had a close association with Dera Sachkhand Ballan, which is considered to have sway over the Dalit-dominant Jalandhar parliamentary constituency.
Vikramjit is the family’s 16th representative in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, which also happens to be the state’s 16th assembly.
The strong reaction came as Channi, who remained the first Dalit CM of Punjab, has been camping in the Jalandhar constituency, attending various social and religious events.
The matters came to a head when Congress’ MLA from Doaba attended Channi’s birthday at Morinda. Channi cut a cake which mentioned ‘Sada Channi Jalandhar’.
Vikramjit said the Chaudhary family have briefed the Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and is hopeful that the party will bank on the family once again.
“Our loyalty with the Congress can be gauged by the fact that we have contested 16 assembly elections and two Lok Sabha polls for the Congress ticket,” he said. The Congress had fielded Santokh’s widow Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, in the bypoll, but she lost to AAP’s Sushil Kumar Rinku.
Channi couldn’t be contacted despite repeated attempts. But in a TV interview, Channi said: “He will abide by the party high command’s decision.”
Channi’s protégé Sukhwinder Singh Kotli, a Congress MLA from Adampur said the hundreds of people from Jalandhar visited Channi’s residence for his birthday celebrations.
“It was because of the former CM’s popularity among Jalandhar residents and they came up with cake,” Kotli said.
