Kejriwal says Channi will not be the CM after poll result

Tribune News Service

GS Paul

Amritsar, February 13

AAP has expressed confidence that Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi could lose the ‘CM tag’ after March 10.

Accompanied by AAP’s chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Singh Mann in Amritsar today, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said the party has been conducting poll surveys across the state.

Citing his party’s survey reports emerging from Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur constituencies, both being contested by Channi simultaneously, Kejriwal claimed that he (Channi) was on the verge of losing both the seats.

“If Channi was not going to be an MLA, how could he be the CM? We had conducted surveys not once but thrice on both the seats. In Chamkaur Sahib, AAP candidate is having an edge with 52 per cent liking by residents whereas only 35 per cent favoured Channi. Similarly, 48 per cent residents of Bhadaur preferred AAP candidate and Channi could catch the fancy of only 30 per cent residents. So, Channi would just remain the ‘CM’ face,” he said.

Kejriwal said the residents of Chamkaur Sahib, from where Channi was two-time MLA, were annoyed with him, especially in the context of allegedly patronising illegal sand mining in the area. He wondered over the reports that surfaced about the ‘clean chit’ given to Channi in the illegal sand mining scam in which his nephew was nabbed by the Enforcement Directorate.

“It was another magical wonder of Channi who got himself ‘clean chit’ within four days of an inquiry conducted by the officers who belonged to the same place. It was as if those officers must have been involved in the illegal sand mining too,” he said while pointing towards Mann, sitting next to him, stating that “the true investigation would be done only when he occupies the CM chair”.

Questioning ED’s role, he claimed that the accused (Channi’s nephew) has said before the ED that the money recovered from him belonged to Channi and that the ill-gotten money was accumulated in lieu of obliging the officers’ transfers. “Where was the hitch to arrest Channi? He has to be arrested and interrogated by the ED,” Kejriwal said.

He emphasised that the AAP is working like a team and has focused on the agenda conceptualised for the welfare and development of Punjab for the next five years.

“On the other hand, the internal conflict between the Congress party was an open secret. We have seen the four-and-a-half-year term of Congress-led government by Capt Amarinder and 111-day governance of Channi too. How could such a party deliver for the Punjab welfare which could not resolve its internal bickering?”

Launching a scathing attack on PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu’s ‘Punjab Model’, Mann said his model was never approved by the Congress high command.

He said AAP had given the ‘guarantees’ and prepared a proper roadmap for Punjab with a programme to generate revenue and its utilisation.

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