Cong candidate from Jalandhar Channi offers prayers at Golden Temple

Amritsar: Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday offered prayers at the Golden Temple a day after the Congress named him as its candidate from the Jalandhar (reserved) parliamentary constituency.

He was accompanied by party MLA Pargat Singh and other party leaders.

Speaking to the media, Channi said he was going to Jalandhar as 'Sudama' and urged the people of the Doaba region to take care of him like 'Lord Krishna'.

He said he came here to seek the blessings of the almighty to give him strength to live up to the expectations of the people.

Replying to a question, Channi said he had served the people of the Chamkaur Sahib assembly constituency and brought "unprecedented" development in that area.

"Chamkaur Sahib was once considered a backward area. But a lot of development has taken place in that area," he said.

He also slammed the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab saying, "Today, it is the fight for the existence of Punjab." Channi accused Mann of being "in cahoots" with the Centre and hatching conspiracies against the state.

Mann "supported" those who used "force" against protesting farmers, alleged Channi. "There is a need to teach him a lesson," he said.

Channi had been an MLA from the Chamkaur Sahib constituency in 2007, 2012 and 2017. He had unsuccessfully contested from Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur seats in the 2022 Punjab assembly polls.

Polling for the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will take place in the last phase on June 1.