After months-long infighting in the Punjab Congress, an unexpected Captain Amarinder-BJP alliance, and a rising AAP, Punjab will finally witness polls on the 117 seats on February 20. The Punjab Election 2022 witnessed various key issues, the primary of them were sacrilege case for which Navjot Sidhu and Captain Amarinder were involved in an internal tussle which ultimately led Charanjit Singh Channi as new Chief Minister of Punjab and the 'evergreen' drugs issue. Once key issues for the Punjab polls, sacrilege and drugs is hardly the talking point of the Punjab polls.
As soon as the campaigning of political parties intensified, the agenda of terrorism and 'fear among Hindus' took the centre stage. Not only this, Punjab CM Channi's controversial 'UP-Bihar ke bhaiyee' remarks sparked a massive outrage not only on social media but also on the ground zero of Punjab.
Navjot Sidhu's rebellion against Congress on Sacrilege issue
Captain Amarinder Singh resigned from the Punjab Chief Ministerial post after the 'humiliation' from the Congress High Command after continuous infighting with PPCC President Navjot Sidhu. After a few days of Captain Amarinder's resignation, Navjot Sidhu too resigned from the PPCC President's post over Channi's appointment of APS Deol as Punjab's Attorney General. Sidhu's resignation sent shockwaves in the Congress, however, the cricketer-turned-politician's strong stance against sacrilege made the Congress High Command and Channi kneel over his demands. As a result, APS Deol was forced to resign despite CM Channi backing his decision to appoint him as Punjab AG. All the Congress infighting sent one signal that Sidhu was firm against Sacrilege and probe on it.
Navjot Singh Sidhu Vs Bikram Singh Majithia
The drugs issue of Punjab took a massive turn when Punjab Police booked veteran Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia. Majithia was given pre-arrest bail by Punjab High Court He accused CM Channi of money laundering in the sand mining cases and called Sidhu 'pro-Pakistan'. Not only this, Akali Dal fielded Bikram Singh Majithia against Navjot Sidhu from the Amritsar East constituency.
Agenda of drugs-sacrilege fades in Punjab Polls 2022
The agenda of Punjab Polls 2022 took a different turn when PM Modi's convoy in Punjab was stopped and a massive security failure of the state government were reported. Delhi CM and AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal played a Hindu card which constitutes 38 percent of the total votes. On PM Modi's security breach, Kejriwal in Ludhiana had stated that Hindus are most concerned about in terms of domestic security. However, Arvind Kejriwal's Hindu card was soon downplayed by his own former party leader Dr. Kumar Vishwas who alleged that he had tried to convince Kejriwal against taking the help of fringe elements, separatists and people associated with the Khalistan movement in the 2017 Punjab election, but the AAP supremo told him that he will become the first PM of an independent nation.
However, Arvind Kejriwal termed Kumar Vishwas's allegation as 'joke and comedy'. However, Punjab CM Channi wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah over Kejriwal's link with SFJ (Sikh For Justice). Amit Shah took cognizance of the matter and stated that he is personally looking into it.
Punjab CM Channi's hateful speech against 'UP-Bihar'
Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi sparked a massive outrage when he said, "Priyanka Gandhi is Punjaban. She is the daughter-in-law of Punjab. So, Punjabis get united. 'Bhaiyas' from UP, Bihar and Delhi want to come and rule Punjab. But we will not let them enter." On this controversial statement, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was seen clapping and applauding. Following that, CM Channi and Priyanka Gandhi were slammed from all around. Even PM Modi slammed the Congress over its divisive politics.
Speaking at a rally in Punjab’s Abohar, PM Modi condemned the remark and said: "Was Sant Ravidasji born in Punjab? He was born in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi and you [Channi] say that you won’t let UP’s people enter Punjab. Will you drive out Sant Ravidas as well? Will you erase his name?"
Modi stepped up his attack by invoking Guru Gobind Singh as well. "Guru Gobind Singhji was born in Patna, Bihar. And they [Congress] say that they will drive out people of Bihar. Will you [people] tolerate this insult to Guru Gobind Singhji?"