Congress ticks Channi to checkmate 'Dalit-centric plans' of political rivals

The Congress party has smartly played the Dalit card by making Charanjit Singh Channi, the new Chief Minister of Punjab. The selection of Channi among the Jat Sikh faces of Punjab was a major attempt to counter the Dalit-centric plans of other political parties. However, based on the Dalit card alone, can the party return to power in Punjab?

Chandigarh:The Congress party has smartly played the Dalit card by making Charanjit Singh Channi, the new Chief Minister of Punjab. The selection of Channi as among the Jat Sikh faces of Punjab was a major attempt to counter the Dalit-centric plans of other political parties. However, based on the Dalit card alone, can the party return to power in Punjab? Perhaps this is the reason why Harish Rawat, Congress in-charge of Punjab affairs, stated that the next election will be fought under the leadership of Navjot Singh Sidhu recently.

What does Rawat's statement indicate?

Other parties are taking Harish Rawat's statement as an opportunity to attack Congress on whether the Dalits are being used only to alleviate the crisis within Congress party. Channi has access to the party high command and enjoys Navjot Singh Sidhu's full support. Channi and Sidhu will have the desired synergy during the election which was not possible between Captain Amarinder Singh and Sidhu because of serious differences of opinion between the two Congress leaders.

Making Channi CM could be beneficial for Congress

Channi as the CM could be beneficial to Congress before the Punjab elections. The CM is part of the Ravidasiya community which has a lot of influence in the reserved category seats. Other political parties in the state have been promising to select a Dalit leader as the Deputy CM of Punjab if voted to power. However, Congress played the game better and declared a Dalit-Sikh leader as the CM of the state. This move also counters the Akali Dal's pact with Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party.

Coordinating across all regions is a major challenge

The Dalit community had voted for Capt Amarinder Singh in the previous elections. With his removal from the top post, will Dalits now move away to other parties like AAP and BSP? To counter any such move, Congress selected Channi to woo Dalits in big numbers. It also appears that the move was made on the advice of political strategist, Prashant Kishor.

However, to use the Dalits to its advantage, Congress will have to work hard and coordinate in all the regions of Punjab. When it comes to the caste-based equation, Punjab politics revolves around Sikhs, Hindus, and Dalits. The Sikhs vote for the Akalis and the Congress and in urban areas, the Hindus vote for the BJP but, they also voted for Captain Amarinder Singh. The Dalit vote is divided between the Congress and then Akali Dal and BJP, but in the last assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party received a good response. Most of the party's MLAs won due to Dalit votes. This year, the traditional Dalit Party - BSP has also joined the fray by forming an alliance with the Akalis.

Trying to stop Dalits from voting for BSP

Congress is also trying to keep the Dalits away from Bahujan Samajwadi Party and appointed Channi to keep them in its fold. However, to placate the Sikh and Hindu community, they have appointed Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Om Prakash Soni as the Deputy Chief Ministers. Dalits could swing the election in their favour as the party has strong urban vote banks in the state.

Everything depends on Channi's performance in Punjab

It remains to be seen whether Charanjit Singh Channi will be allowed to take decisions while maintaining the social balance. A new cabinet needs to be appointed, keeping in mind the social balance at the same time, accommodating the old and the new leaders. The selection and appointment of ministers with good track records will also be important. Mostly, the government has to function well till the run-up to the elections.

More promises and less time

The Congress and its Punjab President Navjot Singh Sidhu have made several promises during the 'Remove Captain' campaign and fulfilling them for the rest of the tenure of this government would be a major challenge for the new incumbent. Farming issues, power sector reforms, the Sacriliage issue, are some of the burning issues in front of new CM of Punjab. Then there is Captain Amarinder Singh factor, who still boasts of a loyal base within the state. A lot depends on his next move. It is being speculated that he can play a key role by resolving the ongoing farmers' strike before the state election to checkmate political rivals in the run-up to the polls.