At Charanjit Singh Channi’s Jalandhar abode, the early bird aims for votes

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, May 17

It is 8:20 am and Congress candidate from Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat Charanjit Singh Channi is not available at H.No-29, Lajpat Nagar, which he claims he has “taken” in Jalandhar. Instead, he is spotted coming out of city’s posh hotel Fortune Avenue, just about 200 metres away. His daily wear is a kurta pyjama, turban and shoes, all white from head to toe.

Hockey match with star players

This weekend, Charanjit Channi will take part in a hockey match with star players of the city at Lyallpur Khalsa College grounds

As his security men guard his Toyota Fortuner (bearing registration No. 0004) at the hotel’s porche, he quickly takes a seat along with his manager, who follows him carrying his two files and a diary. The guards follow him in their Swift car. The vehicles enter the Lajpat Nagar’s corner house, which is all decked up with Channi’s posters.

The house has a huge tent-covered lawn with around 100 chairs laid. The house, which has been constructed more like a guest house, has about 7-8 bedrooms, all with an access from outside. This also is the point where all his teams, workers and guests assemble every morning and evening. A team of permanently hired caterers serve them paranthas and curd with pickle and tea. Channi too takes his breakfast with them.

By the time he finishes his breakfast, a beeline of halqa incharges, party workers and some Ambedkar followers from the US assemble in his drawing room and he gives them a quick hearing for two to five minutes. As each one of them leaves after a brief interaction, they request Channi for a selfie and he happily obliges them all. In the drawing room, there is no other painting or decorative piece but two different-sized portraits of Dr BR Ambedkar, which perhaps have been gifted to him during his campaign.

Since it is Friday today, his day’s plan was to visit Phillaur, a rural segment to which both his sons Navjit and Rhythmjit had left before him to make arrangements for the day. “From Monday to Friday, Channi goes to rural segments. On Saturdays and Sundays when urban voters are relatively free, these are the days for him to be in urban segments,” said one of his aides.