CHAMKAUR SAHIB — Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi launched an eight-day cycle march across Punjab on Thursday, triggering an immediate political crossfire over party factionalism and campaign funding.
The initiative faced instant resistance. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and former state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar questioned the core intent behind the multi-district tour, framing the exercise as factional theatre rather than public service.
The outreach drive, titled 'Jawani Sambhal Yatra' under the broader 'Punjab Mangda Insaaf' banner, serves as the party's early mobilization push ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Channi mapped an itinerary covering nearly 625 kilometres across 27 of Punjab's 117 legislative constituencies between November 12 and November 19, focusing on youth unemployment and the state's narcotic crisis.
All India Congress Committee in-charge Sachin Pilot flagged off the procession from Chamkaur Sahib.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took aim at the optics of the campaign, daring Channi to transfer the 2,000 bicycles deployed in the rally directly to impoverished families rather than using them as rolling props. Mann estimated the fleet's market cost at ₹5,000 per bicycle, placing the procurement total at approximately ₹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?
Bhagwant Mann, Chief Minister of Punjab
Mann revived scrutiny surrounding past federal investigations, pointing to the Enforcement Directorate's previous cash seizures from premises linked to Channi's nephew. The Chief Minister charged that several Congress leaders reside in luxury homes and commute in high-end automobiles while staging working-class political optics.
He also laid bare the state unit's internal friction, declaring that individual camps—led respectively by Partap Singh Bajwa, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, and Pargat Singh—continue to pull the organisation in conflicting directions.
| Yatra Parameter | Official Metric |
|---|---|
| Lead Organizer | Charanjit Singh Channi |
| Campaign Duration | 8 Days (November 12–19) |
| Total Distance | ~625 Kilometres |
| Assembly Seats Covered | 27 of 117 Constituencies |
| Estimated Cycle Fleet | 2,000 Units (Valued at ~₹1 Crore) |
| Launch Location | Chamkaur Sahib |
Sunil Jakhar assailed the march as an internal vanity contest rather than a grassroots intervention for Punjab's systemic challenges. The previous leg of party outreach had been led independently by Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and newly appointed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Pargat Singh, underscoring rival power centres.
Jakhar took direct aim at the discordant transit choices of rival party chieftains. While Channi mounted a bicycle, other factional heavyweights opted for chartered bus rallies, with some leaders preparing tours in luxury Land Rover Defender SUVs valued at ₹2 crore to ₹2.5 crore each.
"Stop talking about your unity; Punjab is in danger. Who will save Punjab?" Jakhar said, dismissing the exercise as competitive posturing.
At the launch ground, optics collided with absences. While Pargat Singh, Partap Singh Bajwa, senior MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh, and Members of Parliament Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, and Amar Singh flanked the flag-off stage, former state unit chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring was visibly absent.
The 625-kilometre bicycle procession will press across Malwa and Doaba districts over the next seven days, concluding its targeted 27-constituency circuit on November 19.