Channi Supporters Demand Candidacy at Punjab Congress Rally

Support for Channi Grows at Punjab Congress Gathering

During a public meeting held on August 3 in Bathinda, supporters of former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi vocally demanded his nomination as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the Punjab Congress. The event featured Bhupesh Baghel, the in-charge of Punjab Congress and former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, along with Amarinder Singh Raja Wadding, the president of Punjab Congress. As Raja Wadding began his address, chants erupted from the crowd.

He invited one of the protesting supporters onto the stage and asked him to call Charanjit Singh Channi. Throughout the proceedings, supporters repeatedly urged the Congress leadership to declare Channi as the party's candidate for the upcoming 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Amidst the commotion, some individuals were seen lifting chairs, highlighting the ongoing tensions regarding leadership and electoral strategy within the Punjab Congress. Raja Wadding attempted to manage the situation by bringing a vocal supporter on stage for direct dialogue with Channi. Despite efforts to maintain peace and uphold party unity, dissenters continued to express their preference for Channi's leadership over the current leaders.

Opposition Protests Outside Punjab Assembly

On the same day, Congress legislators, led by opposition leader Pratap Singh Bajwa, staged a protest outside the Punjab Assembly during the Monsoon session. They accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of leaking multiple examination papers and demanded the resignation of Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains. Speaking to the media, Bajwa claimed that in the past four and a half years, examination papers had leaked six times, affecting approximately 350,000 students. He also criticized the state government's handling of recruitment, law and order, and administration.

Bajwa stated that the examination papers had been leaked on a large scale, impacting around 350,000 students. He reiterated the demand for Harjot Bains' resignation, countering Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's claims that no leaks occurred. He also held the health minister accountable for the situation, estimating that 50 to 70 percent of those hired were non-Punjabi, which he believed was why they were hesitant to disclose names. He asserted that the entire system had collapsed during this government's tenure, rendering the police force and police stations ineffective.