'Channi fell on my feet...: Amarinder Singh makes big claim on MeToo plaint as polls loom

Launching a fierce attack on the Punjab CM, Amarinder Singh claimed that Charanjit Singh Channi fell on his feet to seek his intervention in the #MeToo complaint. This controversy had come to the fore in October 2018 when Channi was the Technical Education Minister in the Amarinder Singh-led government. The former Punjab CM lamented that he had helped "resolve" the issue when Channi was accused of sending indecent messages to a senior woman IAS officer, 

In a big claim, the Punjab Lok Congress leader asserted that the current CM pledged loyalty to him for life in lieu of addressing the complaint against him. Amarinder Singh stated, "Now he has changed colours and is claiming he had been trying to dislodge me for the past two years". Singh's remarks assume significance at a time when Channi has been under attack from the opposition for the ED raids at his nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey's premises. 

In a statement, the ex-Punjab also alleged that this was a 'transfer posting di sarkar' and not 'lokaan di sarkar' as being claimed by the Congress party. To buttress his point, he highlighted the replacement of three DGPs, the tug of war over the Advocate General's post and the allegation that money has exchanged hands for the posting of SSPs. Dubbing Channi as an "untrustworthy" person, Singh opined that the Punjab government had been exposed as a ‘suitcase di sarkar’ after the recent seizure of crores of rupees from the CM's nephew. 

Punjab election

In the 2017 Punjab Assembly election, Congress won a whopping 77 seats in the 117-member House, whereas Shiromani Akali Dal could win only 18 seats. On the other hand, AAP emerged as the second-largest party with 20 seats and failed to bear fruit as it could win in only 54 constituencies. Despite winning a huge mandate, infighting erupted in the Congress camp after Sidhu started attacking the then CM Amarinder Singh over the purported delayed justice in the incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and the drug cases.

The situation escalated on September 18 after Congress summoned a Legislative Party meeting without keeping the Punjab CM in the loop. Amid growing speculation that Singh will be ousted, the latter tendered his resignation to Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit at about 4.30 pm on the same day owing to "humiliation". However, Charanjit Singh Channi pipped Sidhu to the CM's post on September 20. As the infighting in the party has persisted, speculation is rife that AAP's prospects will improve this time. Punjab will go to the polls on February 20 whereas the counting of votes shall take place on March 10.