On Day 1, Charanjit Channi's Punjab Cycle Yatra Runs Into Factionalism, Bhagwant Mann's Taunts

Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi's cycle rally, held as part of the party's 'Jawani Sambhal Yatra' ('Save the Youth' drive) under its 'Punjab Mangda Insaaf' (Justice for Punjab) campaign, has come under sharp attack from political rivals, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar questioning the intent of the exercise.

The yatra is part of the Congress's political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. It seeks to highlight issues concerning Punjab's youth, including unemployment, the drug menace and what the party calls the failures of the AAP government. The eight-day yatra, running from November 12 to 19, will cover nearly 625 km across at least 27 of the 117 Assembly constituencies.

Reacting to the rally, Mann challenged the former chief minister to distribute the 2,000 bicycles used in the yatra among the poor instead of using them for political symbolism. Mann claimed that each bicycle cost around Rs 5,000, putting their total value at nearly Rs 1 crore. "If Channi Sahib considers himself such a great messiah of the poor, he should distribute these bicycles among them. What message does he want to convey by riding a bicycle?" Mann said.

Taking a swipe at Channi, Mann also referred to the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) seizure cash from premises linked to his nephew, questioning the Congress leader's claim to represent the poor. He alleged that Congress leaders owned luxury houses and expensive cars but were indulging in political drama.

Mann also targeted factionalism in the Congress. Referring to the different camps within the state Congress, he said the Bajwa, Randhawa and Pargat factions were speaking in different voices.

BJP's Jakhar described the Congress campaign as an internal show of strength rather than a movement focused on Punjab's problems. He said the previous day's yatra belonged to Partap Singh Bajwa and Pargat Singh, while the latest one was led by Channi. Taking a dig at the different styles of political outreach, he said some leaders were organising bus rallies while Channi had opted for a cycle rally.

He further claimed that some Congress leaders were planning yatras in luxury Defender vehicles costing Rs 2 crore to Rs 2.5 crore each. "Stop talking about your unity; Punjab is in danger. Who will save Punjab?" Jakhar said.

Channi launched the 'Jawani Sambhal' cycle rally from Chamkaur Sahib on Thursday in the presence of Punjab Congress in-charge Sachin Pilot and several senior party leaders. However, the absence of former Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring drew attention amid repeated assertions by the party leadership that the Congress remained united.

The rally saw the participation of newly appointed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Pargat Singh, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, senior MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh, and MPs Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Gurjeet Singh Aujla and Amar Singh, among others.