Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday launched the Jawani Sambhal cycle yatra from Chamkaur Sahib as part of the Congress’ wider political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.

The launch, however, was accompanied by renewed questions over unity within the Punjab Congress after former state unit chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring was absent from the event. Congress leaders maintained that the party was united even as political rivals highlighted differences within the state unit.

The eight-day campaign, scheduled from November 12 to 19, is aimed at highlighting issues concerning Punjab’s youth, including unemployment and the drug menace. The yatra is planned to cover nearly 625 km across at least 27 Assembly constituencies.

Senior Congress leaders join Channi’s yatra

Punjab Congress in-charge Sachin Pilot flagged off the cycle rally in the presence of several senior party leaders, including newly appointed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Pargat Singh, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Rana Gurjeet Singh and other leaders.

Channi sought to present the cycle campaign as part of the Congress’ broader programme rather than an individual initiative. The party is using the campaign to raise issues such as drugs, unemployment, gangsterism and law and order ahead of the state elections.

The absence of Raja Warring nevertheless drew attention. His non-participation came amid earlier concerns about coordination between different leaders and factions in the Punjab Congress.

Bhagwant Mann targets Channi’s cycle rally

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann mocked the campaign and questioned its purpose. He suggested that the bicycles being used in the rally should instead be distributed among poor people.

Mann claimed that around 2,000 bicycles were being used and estimated their combined value at nearly Rs. 1 crore, based on his claim that each bicycle cost around Rs. 5,000.

He also attacked Channi over the Enforcement Directorate’s seizure of cash from premises linked to his nephew and alleged that Congress leaders were engaging in political drama despite claiming to represent the poor. These were political allegations made by Mann.

BJP also questions Congress unity

Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar described the Congress campaign as an internal show of strength rather than an initiative focused on Punjab’s problems.

Jakhar contrasted the different outreach programmes being organised by Congress leaders and referred to separate factions within the party. He also criticised the use of bicycles for Channi’s campaign while alleging that other Congress leaders were planning political yatras using luxury vehicles.

The Congress, meanwhile, has continued to project unity. Pilot said the Punjab unit was moving forward together, while other senior leaders also defended the party’s coordination during the yatra launch.

Focus on Punjab youth ahead of 2027 polls

The Jawani Sambhal yatra is part of the Congress’ broader Punjab Mangda Insaaf campaign. The party plans to use the mobilisation to raise issues involving Punjab’s youth and attack the AAP government over drugs, unemployment, gangsterism and other concerns.

The campaign comes as political parties prepare for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, with Congress seeking to challenge the ruling AAP in the state.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced its second list of 31 candidates for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, taking the total number of constituencies for which it has declared nominees to 71. The latest list includes two sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), while several sitting MLAs have been replaced.

The party has also cancelled the ticket of Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, fielding Randhir Singh Dhira Khuddian instead from Lambi.

The development comes as the ruling party steps up preparations for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. 

AAP’s second list follows 40-candidate announcement

AAP had announced its first list of 40 candidates on October 31. The party had renominated all 40 sitting MLAs included in that list.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was named as the candidate from Dhuri, while Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was fielded from Kotkapura.

Three AAP MLAs quit the party shortly after the announcement of the first list, leaving Samana, Sanaur and Amritsar North among the constituencies requiring a fresh look.

Minister Gurmeet Khuddian loses Lambi ticket

One of the significant changes in the second list is in Lambi, where AAP has fielded Randhir Singh Dhira Khuddian instead of sitting MLA and Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian.

Gurmeet Singh Khuddian had defeated former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from the constituency in the 2022 Assembly elections.

Two sitting MPs get Assembly tickets

AAP has fielded two sitting MPs in the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Sangrur MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer will contest from Barnala, his former constituency, while Hoshiarpur MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal has been named as the candidate from Phagwara.

Meet Hayer returns to Barnala, where Congress won the 2024 bypoll.

Focus shifts to candidate selection ahead of Punjab polls

The second list indicates that the party is making further changes to its candidate selection as it prepares for the 2027 Assembly elections.

Giving tickets to two MPs also marks an important development in its electoral preparations.

The candidate announcements come as political parties begin preparing for the next electoral contest in Punjab, where the AAP will seek another term in government.

Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Chandrashekhar Azad’s Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) have joined hands ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, seeking to emerge as a third political force and draw support from sections of Muslim and Dalit voters.

As part of the alliance, Owaisi declared Chandrashekhar Azad as the alliance’s Chief Ministerial face for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Owaisi had been seeking a place in the Opposition alliance for months and had even issued ultimatums to the Samajwadi Party and Congress. However, his efforts did not find takers.

The alliance brings together AIMIM’s focus on Muslim political representation and the Azad Samaj Party’s outreach among Dalit voters. Both parties are seeking to establish a political formation outside the BJP-led NDA and the Samajwadi Party-led opposition.

Why Owaisi and Chandrashekhar Azad joined hands

Uttar Pradesh AIMIM president Shaukat Ali said the party approached Chandrashekhar Azad after its efforts to reach an understanding with the Samajwadi Party, Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party did not succeed.

Ali said AIMIM wanted a broader alliance to prevent the BJP from returning to power in Uttar Pradesh for a third consecutive term.

He also criticised the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance, questioning its prospects in the next Assembly elections.

Chandrashekhar Azad, the Lok Sabha MP from Nagina, said the partnership would focus on empowering young people, farmers and weaker sections of society.

He also raised concerns over employment opportunities, demonetisation and issues affecting educated youth from Dalit and backward communities.

What the alliance means for Akhilesh Yadav’s PDA strategy

Muslims account for around 20 per cent of Uttar Pradesh’s population, while Dalits constitute approximately 21 per cent.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has used the PDA formulation to bring together backward classes, Dalits and minorities. The AIMIM-Azad Samaj Party alliance is seeking support among two important sections of this broader social grouping.

Muslims account for around 20 per cent of Uttar Pradesh’s population, while Dalits constitute approximately 21 per cent.

What the parties’ previous election performance shows

Both AIMIM and the Azad Samaj Party have struggled to establish a significant presence in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

In the 2022 Assembly elections, AIMIM contested more than 90 seats but secured less than 0.5 per cent of the total votes. The Azad Samaj Party contested more than 100 seats and received approximately 0.13 per cent of the votes.

Chandrashekhar Azad, however, won the Nagina Lok Sabha constituency in 2024, giving his party its first elected representative in Parliament.

The alliance is now attempting to combine AIMIM’s support among sections of Muslim voters with Azad’s outreach among Dalit communities.

Its electoral prospects will depend on the seat-sharing arrangement, local leadership and whether the two parties can translate their combined social outreach into electoral support.

SP leaders respond to the alliance

Samajwadi Party MP from Ayodhya, Awadhesh Prasad, dismissed the electoral significance of the AIMIM-Azad Samaj Party alliance. He said that people in Uttar Pradesh had lost faith in the BJP government and described Akhilesh Yadav as the only leader capable of removing the BJP from power in 2027.

The alliance’s formation could therefore become an important factor in the political discussions ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, particularly because both leaders are seeking support among communities that the Samajwadi Party also hopes to bring together through its PDA formulation.