CONGRESS IS LOSING ITS HARD EARNED ADVANTAGE IN PUNJAB!

Chandigarh: The Congress party had played a master stroke in Punjab. Captain Amarinder Singh was removed and Charanjit Singh Channi was made the Chief Minister.

Congress had played its trump card by appointing the first Dalit CM of the state. This gave Congress a huge advantage over other parties.

The Akali Dal had taken a gamble to win Dalit votes by aligning with the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Aam Aadmi Party had laid its cards for the Dalit vote by announcing the appointment of the Dalit Deputy CM.

In the meantime, Congress appointed a Dalit Chief Minister and turned the entire chessboard around. But since then the Congress appears to be in a bid to loose its winning bet.

The Dalit vote has the strongest arithmetic in the social equation from Punjab and this group has the highest aspiration for power. About 34% of the state’s population belongs to the Dalit community and the feeling of social and political hegemony has become very strong in this community for some time now.

But since all the parties are led by the Jat Sikh community, which accounts for 16% of the population, Dalits remained behind in political participation despite social upheaval. Congress gave a big message by making a Dalit CM, which can be of great benefit to it in the next elections.

However, Congress’ own leaders claim that the next election will not be fought in the name of Chief Minister Channi, but in the name of the party and the MLAs will decide the Chief Minister after the election. It simply means that if the Congress wins the election, Channi will not be the Chief Minister.

Because even during his Chief Ministerial tenure, if the dominant population of the state—especially the Jat Sikh and Jat community leaders— are not allowing his name to be announced, then how will they allow him to become the Chief Minister after the elections. It will not be very difficult for Dalit voters to understand this.

It may be noted that State President Navjot Singh Sidhu, State Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Election Campaign Committee President Sunil Jakhar have put pressure on the Congress high command that Channi should not be projected as CM face. If Congress doesn’t project Channi as CM face then it will be a big mistake.

Today the leaders who are putting pressure on the high command do not have the status of gathering mere five per cent votes for the party.

The Jat Sikh population is 16 per cent, whose vote traditionally goes to the Akali Dal and the remaining radical-minded vote is going to the Aam Aadmi Party from the last two elections.

This time Captain is a separate contender for this vote. So, if Sidhu, Randhawa and Jakhar can get even five per cent of this vote to the Congress, it will be a big deal.

But if the Congress fights by declaring Channi as the Chief Minister, the majority of Dalit votes will be guaranteed. Hindu upper caste and OBC votes will also join the Congress then.