By PTI
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister and Congress candidate Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday filed his nomination papers from the Bhadaur (SC) seat in Barnala district.
After filing his nomination papers, Channi said the Congress party has directed him to contest from Bhadaur seat.
“I have come with a mission in Malwa (region),” he said, adding that this area is backward in terms of development.
“Though Capt (Amarinder Singh) and Badal sahib (Parkash Singh Badal) were there, the area lacked development,” he said while promising to uplift the area.
Channi said he has come like ‘Sudama’ and hoped that people of the Malwa region will take care of him like ‘Lord Krishna’.
“We will register a big win in Malwa,” said Channi who was flanked by senior Congress leader and former Union minister Pawan Bansal, whose son Manish Bansal is the party contestant from Barnala.
Asked about Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s claim that he will lose from Chamkaur Sahib seat, Channi dared the AAP leader to contest against him from any constituency in Punjab.
“Let Kejriwal come and contest against me from any seat in Punjab,” he said.
Kejriwal on Sunday had taken a jibe at Channi for contesting from two seats, saying he was losing from the Chamkaur Sahib (SC) seat which the Congress leader currently represents.
The Congress on Sunday had fielded Channi from the second assembly seat Bhadaur (SC).
Channi is also contesting from his home turf Chamkaur Sahib seat.
By fielding Channi from Bhadaur seat, the party was eying electoral gains in the politically significant Malwa region, which also has a good presence of Dalits in addition to their concentration in the Doaba area.
The Congress’ move of fielding Channi from Bhadaur is also being seen as an attempt to check the AAP’s influence in the Sangrur and Barnala districts.
Barnala district comprises three assembly segmentsBarnala, Mehal Kalan and Bhadaur which fall under the Sangrur Parliamentary constituency, which is represented by AAP MP and party’s CM face Bhagwant Mann.
Channi, who replaced Amarinder Singh last year, is the first chief minister of Punjab from the Scheduled Caste community.
