Punjab polls: CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Badals, Amarinder Singh file nomination papers

Several political leaders in Punjab including three former CMs and a former deputy CM filed their nomination papers for the ensuing Assembly elections on Monday.

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi filed his nomination papers from Bhadaur (SC) seat in Barnala district. Channi is also contesting from Chamkaur Sahib seat on the Congress symbol.

Parkash Singh Badal, chief patron of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and five-term Chief Minister, has put his hat in the political ring by filing his nomination papers from Lambi at the age of 94.

Former CM Capt. Amarinder Singh, who launched a political outfit called Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) after being shown the door by the Congress, filed his papers from his traditional seat, Patiala (Urban), where he is taking on one-time confidant and former Patiala Mayor Vishnu Sharma contesting on the Congress symbol.

Accompanied by his wife, former Union Food Processing Minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, SAD president and former deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal filed his candidature from Jalalabad seat. Badal will face Congress candidate Congress Mohan Singh Phallianwala. He has successfully contested from this constituency thrice (2009 bypoll, 2012 and 2017).

After filing his nomination papers, Channi said the Congress had directed him to contest from Bhadaur seat. “I have come with a mission in Malwa (region),” he said, adding that the area was backward in terms of development.

“Though Captain (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 had come like ‘Sudama’ and hoped the people of Malwa would 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's contestant from Barnala.

Asked about Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's claim that he would lose from Chamkaur Sahib, 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.

Punjab is going to polls on February 20.