Channi, later, clarified that both the candidates were equally eligible for the post, and he was asked to do the same by the candidates themselves.
Channi had once got a road constructed outside his official residence to have east-facing entry to his house and it was later razed by the Chandigarh administration.
He contested the from and legislative assembly constituencies, but lost both the seats to his opponents from the.
For the Congress, the surge of Dalit support will be negated by the upper caste Hindus and Jat Sikhs who will most certainly desert the party in large numbers.