Till some months ago, Charanjit Singh Channi was just another minister in Amarinder Singh's Congress government. And when the party decided to replace the veteran leader as the chief minister in Punjab, Channi wasn't even in the list of obvious front-runners.

 But after the Congress made the surprise decision, Channi took to his new role as CM with enthusiasm, announcing sops, featuring in full-page newspaper advertisements and even participating in a game of hockey.

 Though Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, who played a major role in Amarinder Singh's ouster, continued with his pitch to be declared the party CM's face as the assembly polls neared, the Congress picked Channi. 

 His credentials as Punjab's first Dalit CM appeared to help.

 Over 30 per cent of the state's population is Dalit. 

 The Congress fielded Channi from two seats -- Chamkaur Sahib in Rupnagar and Bhadaur in Barnala, a move which showed how much the Congress was banking on him. 

He lost from both, and the party received a drubbing from the Aam Aadmi Party. Channi, who appeared to come from nowhere to centre stage for about four months, is now headed back to relative obscurity.