Hit by Ex-MLA’s Defection from Dalit-dominated Doaba, Congress Courts Disgruntled Leaders from Community

Chandigarh, Former Congress MLA Sushil Kumar Rinku (in brown jacket) joined AAP in presence of party national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday. (Image: Punjab AAP/Twitter)Former Congress MLA Sushil Kumar Rinku (in brown jacket) joined AAP in presence of party national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday.

Reported By: Swati Bhan, Edited By: Pathikrit Sen Gupta

The party leadership believes making prominent Dalit leader and former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi the face during the 2022 polls helped it win seats in Doaba. So, the Congress is now aiming to get on board all the ‘ignored’ Dalit leaders, including Channi, ahead of the May 10 Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll

Stung by the crossover of a prominent Dalit face, Sushil Rinku, from Doaba to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Punjab Congress has begun damage-control by trying to reach out to “sidelined” Dalit leaders in the party, seeking their active involvement for the May 10 bypoll to the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency.

The Congress had won five of the nine assembly segments falling under the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat despite an AAP wave in the 2022 elections, making it believe that it had some clout left in the Doaba region which has a significant Dalit vote base. The party leadership believes making prominent Dalit leader and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi the face during the polls helped it win those seats in the region. It is because of this factor that the Congress is now aiming to get on board all the “ignored” Dalit leaders, including Channi.

“It will be an advantage in the Dalit-dominated belt if the party manages to iron out the differences with Dalit leaders,” said a leader.

It’s in this context that the top leadership of the state calling on the former CM has assumed significance. Late on Wednesday evening, the party’s Punjab affairs incharge Harish Chaudhary, and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Amarinder Raja Warring called upon Channi at his residence and urged him to join the campaign.

Courtesy : News 18

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