Channi's bicycle journey heats up Punjab politics ahead of 2027 elections
Charanjit Singh Channi will kick off the 'Jawani Sambhal Jatta' bicycle journey from Sri Chamkaur Sahib on November 12.
Political activity has begun to show its colors in Punjab ahead of the assembly elections scheduled in a few months, and the coming days could be a vivid example of this. The Aam Aadmi Party, led by Bhagwant Mann, faces the challenge of accounting for its governance, while the Congress is working to make a comeback to power.
Former Chief Minister of Punjab and Congress MP from Jalandhar, Charanjit Singh Channi, will kick off the ‘Jawani Sambhal Jatta’ cycle rally from Sri Chamkaur Sahib on Thursday, November 12. Sachin Pilot, Congress in-charge for Punjab, will flag off the rally. The first phase of this rally, being organized ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, is expected to see the participation of around two thousand cyclists.
The rally will reach Ludhiana on November 13, passing through Samrala and Sahnewal. Channi and Pilot are expected to be joined by the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Pratap Singh Bajwa, and Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu. On November 14, the rally will move towards Phillaur. Proposed routes also include Nurmahal, Shahkot, Moga, Baghapurana, Faridkot, Talwandi Sabo, Mansa, Sardulgarh, and Barnala. It will conclude in Khanna on November 19 after passing through these areas.
Channi, the chairman of the Congress election campaign committee, stated that the rally will address issues related to drug addiction, corruption, and law and order. The party plans to hold foot marches in the assembly constituencies through which the rally passes, and workers will gather suggestions from the public on local issues, including illegal mining. The electoral significance of starting from Malwa is also notable. In 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party had recorded a significant victory in this region, and Congress had launched its election campaign this month with a rally by Rahul Gandhi in Sangrur.
One day before Channi's rally, on Wednesday, Punjab Congress President Parghat Singh and Pratap Singh Bajwa launched the ‘Punjab Mangda Insaaf’ campaign in Chandigarh. Under this campaign, Congress leaders will meet farmers, youth, employees, pensioners, and other sections of society. The party claims that the suggestions received from the public will be used to prepare the election manifesto. The one-day gap between the two events has raised questions about coordination within the Congress. However, Bajwa stated that Channi's cycle rally is also part of the Congress program.
Channi's role will be determined by how well he can incorporate the local issues raised during the rally into the party's joint election program. On October 13, Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead at a pharmacy in Mansa. Reports suggest that he had a dispute over the alleged sale of narcotic drugs at the shop. Protests erupted after the murder, and on November 8, 26 days after the incident, his last rites were performed. The state government has handed over the investigation of the murder to the CBI. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also met with the families of Jhota and two others whose deaths are linked to drug-related cases.
This incident has also drawn attention to the alleged sale of drugs for recreational use at pharmacies alongside heroin trafficking. The Bhagwant Mann government launched the ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign on March 1, 2025. According to police statistics released in early November, 69,101 FIRs were registered and 90,091 people were arrested in the first 20 months of the campaign. These figures indicate the scale of police action. To understand the impact of the campaign, it will also be necessary to examine changes in the availability of narcotics and deaths due to overdoses, the number of convictions, and how many people received treatment.
The problem of drug addiction is not limited to Punjab, but it exists there in a rampant form. If the efforts of the government, opposition, or other social workers can lead to relief from this issue, it would be better for everyone. Channi's cycle rally will further highlight the drug crisis in the electoral debate. In that debate, the Mann government will be held accountable for the outcomes of its actions. The Congress also faces a pressing question about what it will do to curb trafficking, control the illegal sale of drugs, and ensure treatment reaches those in need if it returns to power.