channi: Channi’s brother goes ‘independent’: When politics divided families in Punjab | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Charanjit Singh Channi and his brother Manohar Singh will be contesting from opposing sides of the political divide in the upcoming Punjab elections as the latter announced his decision to contest as an independent from the Bassi Pathana assembly seat.
Channi will be campaigning for Gurpreet Singh GP, who is the Congress nominee for the seat. According to reports, Manohar Singh, who was eyeing a Congress ticket from Bassi Pathana assembly seat, on Sunday said he will contest as an independent. Interestingly, Channi had also won his first assembly election as an independent.
“I was a contender for the Bassi Pathana seat, but the party (Congress) has denied the ticket. I will contest the election as an independent candidate,” Manohar Singh told news agency ANI.

However, in the colourful world of Punjab politics, Channi’s is not the first family where close relatives are competing on opposing sides.
In the assembly elections next month, Punjab will witness several such family affairs …
The Badal Family: One does not have to look far to find a prominent politician who is arrayed against close relatives and family members. Channi’s finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal is a nephew of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. Manpreet Singh Badal was once a finance minister in a government headed by his uncle. However, times have changed. Manpreet Singh Badal is a top Congress leader in Punjab while cousin Sukhbir Singh Badal leads the Akali Dal challenge.
Fatehjung Bajwa and Pratap Singh Bajwa: Pratap Singh Bajwa is a tall Punjab Congress leader who has also been a chief of the party’s state unit. However, his brother now stands on the other end of the political spectrum. Fatehjung Singh Bajwa, MLA from Qadian, is one of the leaders who joined BJP recently. With Congress picking Pratap Singh Bajwa as its candidate, the constituency will likely see both the brothers contesting against each other.
Randeep Singh Nabha and Jasdeep Singh Nikku: Randeep Singh Nabha is another senior Congress leader who finds a close family member on the others side of the political divide. Nabha is a veteran politician who has been elected an MLA several times and is a minister in Charanjit Singh Channi’s government. According to reports, the Punjab agriculture minister’s brother Jasdeep Singh Nikku had joined the rival AAP.
The case of the Patiala royals: Former chief minister captain Amarinder Singh left Congress after a bitter tussle with state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. Not one to take things lying down, the Army veteran has floated his own party and is an ally of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
However, according to the Lok Sabha website, Amarinder Singh’s wife Preneet Kaur continues to represent the Congress in the lower house. However, even as they straddle different parties, even if technically, Amarinder Singh appears to have his family backing him. According to reports, the Congress has issued a showcause notice to Preneet Kaur apparently after her statements supporting the former chief minister.