Punjab polls: Channi asks people to ensure his victory from Chamkaur Sahib

Punjab Chief Minister and Congress candidate Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday asked people of his constituency Chamkaur Sahib to make him win with a margin of at least 50,000 votes in the February 20 state assembly polls.

His remarks came days after AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed that Channi was losing from his home turf Chamkaur Sahib seat.

Addressing a gathering of people after filing nomination papers from Chamkaur Sahib seat (SC) in Rupnagar district, Channi made an impassioned speech and asked people to ensure his victory as he recounted several development projects carried out in his home constituency.

“You have to make (me) victorious by a margin of 50,000 votes,” said Channi who was accompanied by his family.

Asking people to support him wholeheartedly in the upcoming elections, he said, “If we win (from Chamkaur Sahib) by less than 50,000 votes, then it will not be a victory.” He also targeted his political opponents, accusing them of joining hands to suppress the voice of people of Chamkaur Sahib.

“They can get as many raids conducted as they want, can get false FIRs registered as many as they want…people of Chamkaur Sahib are with me, no matter what,” said the 58-year-old leader.

“I am your son and your brother. I have been with you for 15 years and never went away from you for even a single day. I am nothing without you,” the three-time MLA said in his impassioned speech.

He urged people to support him in this election from this constituency as he has to visit various areas of Punjab for campaigning.

“I never showed my back to any village. Every work was done,” he said.

Opposition parties have targeted Channi over the recent Enforcement Directorate raids on his relative.

The ED recently seized cash amounting to over Rs 10 crore, including about Rs 8 crore from a relative of Channi, during raids conducted in connection with an anti-money laundering investigation against illegal sand-mining operations in the poll-bound state.

Channi has categorically denied any link in his relative’s case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and accused the political opponents of running a ”slanderous and misleading” campaign against him. Channi has been representing Chamkaur Sahib constituency since 2007.

In the 2017 assembly polls, Channi won from Chamkaur Sahib by a margin of 12,308 votes.

Channi on Monday had filed his nomination papers from Bhadaur (SC) seat in Barnala district.

The Congress on Sunday had fielded Channi from the second assembly seat Bhadaur (SC).

Channi, who replaced Amarinder Singh last year, is the first chief minister of Punjab from the Scheduled Caste community.