Punjab polls: Why Congress fielded CM Channi from two seats

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will contest from two seats in the coming Assembly elections, with the Congress on Sunday declaring his nomination from Bhadaur reserved constituency, which is in addition to Channi's candidature from his present constituency Chamkaur Sahib that was announced as part of the party's first list of candidates.

The Congress declared its third list of candidates, and as had been speculated, the party has fielded Channi from two seats. Channi's candidature from Bhadaur, which is a predominantly rural constituency in Barnala district, is understood to be an effort to improve the party's performance in the district. The Congress had lost all three seats in the district in the 2017 state elections.

Moreover, the party is hoping that Channi's candidature from two seats in the Malwa region would help it neutralise the Aam Aadmi Party's growing influence in the electorally crucial area. More than half of the seats in the 117-member Vidhan Sabha fall in Malwa. The AAP had won 18 out of its 20 seats in the Malwa region in the previous Assembly election, while the Congress had won 40 of its 70 seats. Also, the AAP's chief ministerial face and state unit president Bhagwant Singh Mann belongs to the region and is believed to enjoy immense popularity amongst its constituents.

Channi's candidature from two constituencies has been made official at a time when the party is on the verge of announcing its chief ministerial face for the coming elections. It had earlier stated that the party would go into the polls with a collective leadership. However, state leaders and workers have put pressure on the central leadership to announce a CM face, especially since the rival AAP has made it clear that Mann will be chief minister if the party wins the elections. There is speculation on whether Channi's nomination from two seats is an indication of the party wanting to name him as its CM face.

The AAP was prompt in reacting to the announcement of Channi's dual candidature, claiming that it proves that Channi is on a weak wicket in his present constituency Chamkaur Sahib.

“I had said that according to our survey, Channi ji is losing from Chamkaur Sahib. Today Congress has announced that he will contest from two seats. Does this mean the survey is true?,” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been leading the AAP's campaign in the state, tweeted shortly after the Congress' third list was declared.