‘Kejriwal’s assumption that Sikhs wanted Khalistan was flawed,’ the Punjab CM told this newspaper.
Chandigarh: Claiming that the Congress had a clear edge over its rivals in Punjab, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi predicted that his party would form the next government. He said that the Congress position in the state was similar to what it was in 2017, when it won with a two-third majority.
Speaking to The Sunday Guardian on Saturday, a day before the polling, he maintained that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had lost credibility and Arvind Kejriwal “who was mixed up with separatists” was going to receive a befitting reply from the people on Sunday.
Channi was equally unsparing so far as the former Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh was concerned and said that he was bound to forfeit his deposit on his home turf of Patiala. “People have seen through him and he shall be thoroughly exposed”.
Channi said that while the Shiromani Akali Dal was a good party, its politics had been destroyed by leaders such as Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bikramjit Singh Majithia. The BJP was nowhere in the picture and was bound to be very disappointed after the outcome.
He did not agree with the general belief that the people of the state wanted a change and thus could opt for AAP. “There is no way this was going to happen. Kejriwal’s assumption that Sikhs wanted Khalistan was absolutely flawed. He had got a letter written by Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, Legal Adviser of Sikhs for Justice, which is a banned organisation, to support his candidates. The letter was an indication that the AAP was in constant contact with this notorious outfit. He does not understand Punjab or Punjabiyat”.
Home Minister Amit Shah had responded to a letter written by Channi by stating that he would order a probe into these alleged links of AAP with the Sikhs for Justice organisation. The Chief Minister said that Kejriwal wanted to usurp power “by hook or crook methods” and had no agenda for the state. “By projecting Bhagwant Mann as the CM face, he was playing with the people’s sentiments. Mann is uneducated and his personal habits make him unfit to hold the high office. But for Kejriwal, it is politics”.
Channi also trivialised the AAP claim of bringing in change. “They have fielded at least 50 candidates who had earlier contested on the tickets of other parties. They do not have nominees, so what kind of a change are they trying to bring about? It is old wine in a new bottle.”
Asked to comment on reports that Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Tripat Bajwa could lose the election in their respective constituencies, Channi said that all three were winning. What about former Chief Minister, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal? She too is winning. He did not respond when pressed to name Congress leaders who were losing.
Channi took a dig at Sukhbir Singh Badal and wondered where was the need for him to have fielded his 94-year-old father, Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi. It is not fair on the veteran politician and this should not have been done.
Meanwhile, with a few hours left for polling in the border state, there were unconfirmed reports that Dera Sacha Sauda had decided not to support any party, while urging its supporters to press the NOTA button. The Dera had in 2012 and 2017 backed the Akalis, and in 2007 supported the Congress. Political analysts believe that the Dera may have sent out a support message secretly to its followers, while maintaining a neutral stance publicly. It was widely expected that the Dera would come to the aid of the BJP and its allies in the Malwa region following its chief’s release for three weeks on a furlough by the Haryana government.
In Patiala, where Captain Amarinder Singh is contesting, it is being feared that his symbol, which is unknown to the masses, may prove to be a big setback for him as well as those who are in the fray as nominees of the Punjab Lok Congress. In the past few decades, the Congress symbol has been synonymous with the Captain, his wife, Preneet Kaur, who looks after the constituency, as well as Brahm Mohindra, minister in the Channi government, who has won more than half a dozen elections from this area.
Therefore, the symbol confusion may result in even those wanting to vote for the Captain pressing the Hand button mistakenly. While the Captain’s road show on Friday was grand in Patiala Urban, the roadshow by Mohit Mohindra, Brahm Mohindra’s son, who is contesting the polls from Patiala Rural in place of his father, was extremely impressive as well. Many in the city are of the view that Mohit Mohindra maybe the future face of Patiala in the coming years.
Notwithstanding Channi’s comments on the AAP, Kejriwal and his party are expected to do very well. What would evince a lot of interest is whether the BJP sneaks into the battle arena with an improved and unexpected performance, which could surprise its opponents.
The Akalis have enhanced their prospects in their strongholds and the spotlight would be on the Congress, which, if it loses the fight in Punjab, would have to prepare itself for a long tenure in the opposition space.