Adding insult to injury for the Congress in Punjab, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has lost both the seats he contested from the state’s assembly elections to candidates from the Aam Aadmi Party.

Channi looked to defend his Chamkaur Sahib (SC) constituency and also contested from the Bhadaur (SC) seat in this year’s elections.

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However, the 59-year-old Congress leader was defeated by AAP’s Charanjit Singh in Chamkaur Sahib (SC) by a margin of 6,373 votes, while and Labh Singh Ugoke thumped the chief minister in Bhadaur (SC) by 33,845 votes. 

The losses adds to the Congress’ woes in this year’s assembly elections in five states, with the party slipping further into political oblivion after a drubbing by the AAP in Punjab, while also losing early gains against the BJP in Goa and Uttarakhand. 

The Arvind Kejriwal-Bhagawat Mann led AAP is all set to form its maiden government in Punjab – toppling the Congress-Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) duopoly in the state, with latest trends showing the party leading in 91 seats of the 117-member assembly. 

The Congress, which won 77 seats to oust the Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal-led SAD government in the 2017 elections, is leading on just 19 seats. 

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The SAD has a lead in four seats, while its former ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in two. 

Earlier today, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu conceded defeat in the elections and congratulated AAP on their win. “The voice of the people is the voice of God …. Humbly accept the mandate of the people of Punjab …. Congratulations to Aap !!!” he said in a tweet.  

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Meanwhile, former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who broke off from the Congress following a clash with Sidhu and formed his own party – the Punjab Lok Congress, which contested the election in alliance with the BJP – also lost from his Patiala (Urban) constituency.