Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
By: Samriti Sharma
Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi appears to be following in the footsteps of former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, with his separate political initiatives running alongside the party's official programs.
The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) has launched its statewide ‘Punjab Mangda Insaaf’ campaign from Wednesday, while Channi is set to begin his ‘Jawani Sambhal’ cycle yatra from Thursday. Interestingly, the former Chief Minister's focus appears to be largely on making his own cycle march a success.
Channi has also been making announcements at public gatherings on issues that have not yet been officially clarified by the party leadership. Recently, he announced that if Congress returns to power in Punjab, women would also receive the pending amount of Rs 1,000–1,500 promised under the proposed financial assistance scheme.
His approach has drawn comparisons with Navjot Singh Sidhu, who had launched his separate ‘Punjab Model 2022’ campaign ahead of the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections. Sidhu had extensively focused on promoting his own political vision through the initiative, even as the Congress was preparing for the elections.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Congress leadership is concentrating on making the ‘Punjab Mangda Insaaf’ campaign a success. During a press conference on Tuesday, senior Congress leader Pargat Singh presented the detailed roadmap of the party's campaign.
When asked about Channi's ‘Jawani Sambhal’ cycle yatra, Pargat Singh maintained that all party leaders were working together.
However, the official press release issued by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee did not mention Channi's cycle yatra, raising questions about whether it is an official organisational program or an individual initiative by the former Chief Minister.
Responding to journalists' questions on whether the cycle yatra was a party programme or Channi's personal initiative, Pargat Singh said, "This is everyone's program."
The parallel political activities have brought the issue of coordination within the Punjab Congress into focus, particularly as the party prepares to strengthen its position ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
