Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has a political rival in his own house. His younger brother Dr Manohar Singh, who gave up his Government job to test political waters, on Sunday declared to contest as an Independent from the Bassi Pathana constituency against the Congress nominee.
Growing up together, the two brothers are now divided by politics. Staking claims on the Bassi Pathana segment, Manohar was denied a party ticket owing to Congress' "one family, one ticket" rule.
It is because of this rule, the Congress' veterans like Sunil Jakhar and Brahm Mohindra have given up their claims on the party tickets to pave way for their next-generation leaders.
While Jakhar has vacated Abohar constituency for his nephew Sandeep Jakhar, Mohindra has given up his traditional Patiala Rural seat for his son and youth Congress leader Mohit Mohindra.
However, the Congress High Command's decision to field sitting legislator Gurpreet Singh GP from Bassi Pathana did not go down well with the Chief Minister's own brother.
Notably, Bassi Pathana constituency falls in the Puadh cultural region and is considered to be the home turf of Chief Minister Channi and his community.
Day after the Congress announced its first list of 86 candidates for the February 14 elections, the party was hit by rebellion at several seats, with many prominent leaders switching sides, and some others expected to announce their decision in coming days. However, the revolt by the Chief Minister's younger brother, days ahead of Punjab polls, is expected to hit the party hard.
Manohar had, in August 2021, resigned as a Senior Medical Officer from the Kharar civil hospital, to take an electoral plunge. He even went on to organise a huge rally to stake claim for the Bassi Pathana Assembly seat, besides holding small public meetings.
An MBBS and MD, Manohar also holds a postgraduate degree in journalism and has also studied law.
Dubbing the decision of the Congress giving ticket to Gurpreet Singh GP as "injustice" with the people of the constituency Manohar alleged that the sitting MLA was "incapable and ineffective".
"Several prominent people of Bassi Pathana area have asked me to fight as an independent and I will go by what they have said. There is no chance of going back and I will surely fight the polls," he said.
"I will contest as an Independent and ensure the defeat of the sitting Congress MLA who has been fielded again," Manohar was seen telling a gathering of supporters in a video.
He maintained that he decided to contest as an Independent after meeting several councillors, village sarpanch, and panch who asked him to fight the polls. "People told me that it was wrong to give the ticket to him (Gurpreet). He had earlier not done anything and now he has again been foisted upon," he said, adding that he will talk to his brother Channi and explain his decision. Channi is yet to react to his brother's announcement.