Two days after Congress announced Charanjit Singh Channi as the chief minister face for Punjab polls, the Congress leader was on Wednesday spotted playing cricket and cards with locals.
The chief minister was in Barnala's Aspal Khurd today for party campaign ahead of the 20th February Punjab elections.
In the video shared by news agency ANI, Channi could be seen batting and playing with the locals while later he also played cards with senior citizens in Aspal Khurd.
Rahul Gandhi on Sunday had announced incumbent Charanjit Singh Channi as the party's chief ministerial face for the polls. State party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was in the race, hugged Channi on the stage as Gandhi announced his name after over 45 minutes of his speech, televised across the 117 Assembly seats.
Channi after the announcement said, "I sincerely thank the Congress High Command and people of Punjab for bestowing their trust in me. As you have seen us work so hard in the last 111 days to take Punjab forward, I assure you to take Punjab and Punjabis on the path of progress with new zeal and dedication."
With Channi, the Chief Ministerial face in Punjab, the Congress eyes Dalit votes in other states too -- Uttarakhand and Goa which are going to polls on February 14.
Earlier in the day, former Punjab CM and Punjab Lok Congress founder Captain Amarinder Singh attacked Congress leadership in the state saying that Congress' Chief Ministerial face Charanjit Singh Channi is good enough to become a state minister but not CM and party state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu is an "irresponsible person."
"Both Sidhu and Channi are not good for Punjab, Channi can become a minister but not CM whereas Sidhu is not a responsible person," said Amarinder.
Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress Party is contesting the election in alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).
Punjab will go to the polls on February 14 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10.
In the 2017 Assembly polls in the state, Congress won an absolute majority by winning 77 seats and ousted the SAD-BJP government which had been in power for 10 years.
(with agency inputs)
