Eyeing the crucial Dalit votes forming more than 30 percent of the total, the Congress party has fielded the Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi from Bhadaur, along with his home turf — Chamkaur Sahib. In the third list of eight candidates, the party has dropped three sitting MLAs, including Angad Saini from Nawanshahr, who is Congress-turned BJP leader Aditi Singh’s husband.

Channi, who went on to become Punjab’s first Dalit Chief Minister after the stepping down of his predecessor Capt Amarinder Singh in September last, is the only Congress leader to be fielded from two seats. In fact, he will be the only leader, along with Shiromani Akali Dal’s Bikram Singh Majithia, to contest from two seats.

Congress, it seems, is eyeing to consolidate the Dalit votes in the Malwa region, especially the Sangrur and Barnala districts. The move is considered to be a game-changer considering the push the Aam Aadmi Party’s campaign received after the declaration of Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann’s name as its Chief Ministerial candidate.

Notably, Mann — the two-time Sangrur MP — had won both the Lok Sabha polls with a margin of lakhs of votes — more than two lakhs in 2014 and more than one lakh in 2019. In 2019, Mann had secured lead in all the nine assembly constituencies falling under Sangrur.

Mann, this time, is contesting state assembly polls from Dhuri, which also falls under Sangrur parliamentary seat. Available information suggests that by choosing Channi to contest from two seats, the Congress has also indicated how much the party relies on him. A section of party leaders are interpreting the decision as Congress high command making up its mind to make Channi its Chief Ministerial face.

It has also been learnt that the party was also working out the modalities to field Sidhu from two seats after the SAD’s masterstroke to pit Majithia against the former cricketer from his bastion — Amritsar East.

THREE MLAs DROPPED

Congress, in his third list, has dropped its three MLAs. While Attari MLA Tarsem DC has been replaced with his namesake Tarsem Singh Sialka; Nawanshahr MLA Angad Singh has been replaced with Satinder Singh Saini Pallichikki.

Jalalabad MLA Raminder Awla, who opted out of the contest against former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in his battle turf, has also been replaced with former MP Mohan Singh Phallianwala.

Angad Singh had to pay the price for his wife Aditi Singh, who switched over her loyalties towards the BJP. She was Congress’ sitting MLA from Rae Bareli, but went on to join BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Aditi Singh, considered close to the Gandhis, especially Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, had switched over to the BJP in November last year. That was not all! She even dared Priyanka Gandhi to contest against her.

Replacing Angad, the party has fielded Satinder Singh Saini Pallichikki, whose candidature was rejected in 2017. Pallichikki had earlier joined Capt Amarinder’s Punjab Lok Congress, but rejoined the Congress recently.

Aam Aadmi Party’s sitting MLA from Bhadaur Pirmal Singh Khalsa, who had switched over to the Congress party the previous year, had also been denied a ticket.

FORMER PATIALA MAYOR AGAINST CAPT

To challenge the former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, the Congress has laid its bet on the former mayor Vishnu Sharma from Patiala Urban. A former mayor during the Congress Government in 2003, Sharma had rejoined the party earlier this month with party president Navjot Singh Sidhu’s efforts.

Sharma had reportedly quit the Congress due to a fallout with Capt Amarinder.

Capt Amarinder has won Patiala urban seat four times and his wife, Preneet Kaur, represented it for three years from 2014 to 2017.

The Congress had made strenuous efforts to woo AAP’s former MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi to contest against Capt Amarinder, which he categorically refused. The party was also mulling over the name of party veteran and former Minister Lal Singh.

 BANSAL’S SON FROM BARNALA

Congress has fielded former Union Minister and former Chandigarh MP Pawan Kumar Bansal’s elder son, Manish Bansal from Barnala, ignoring the claims of former MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon. Notably, Sidhu was backing Dhillon’s candidature.

Khemkaran MLA Sukhpal Singh Bhullar has been re-nominated despite unfavorable survey results. Ishwarjot Singh Cheema, a Ludhiana-based leader, has been fielded from Ludhiana South.