Former Chief Minister of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi believes the Sikh community has forgiven the Congress party for past mistakes in a new interview with The Tribune.
Channi, who was recently elected as MP from Jalandhar, sat down with Decode Punjab to discuss evolving state politics and the Congress' electoral performance.
When asked about the Aam Aadmi Party's 2022 Assembly election victory, Channi cited anti-incumbency against the previous Congress government and people's attraction to AAP's promises of change. However, he says voters have now realized AAP failed to deliver and withdrawn their support due to rising issues.
On internal party conflict, Channi was critical of former leader Sunil Jakhar who he said played a damaging role with contradictory comments. The former CM took responsibility for some Congress mistakes but said the party has apologized multiple times for past transgressions.
Looking ahead, Channi sees the state unit working as a united team under new leadership. While no one can predict the future, he expressed confidence in the abilities of the current Congress heads.
Channi dismissed notions the BJP could topple the AAP government, saying Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann lacks legislative support. He was also skeptical of the BJP's divisive agenda in Punjab and viewed them as undermining farmers.
In conclusion, Channi reinforced his belief that the Sikh community has forgiven the Congress party for past errors due to repeated apologies and the party's new commitment to serving all Punjabis. He felt voters supported Congress based on his brief tenure as Chief Minister rather than other factors.
