Neck and neck in Adampur
From A.S. Prashar
Tribune News Service

ADAMPUR (Jalandhar), Nov 17 — A tough triangular electoral battle is shaping up among the SAD, the Congress and the BSP for candidates the Adampur byelection scheduled for November 25.

The byelection, which has been caused by the death of Akali Minister Saroop Singh, has aroused a statewide interest because more than the candidates, it has become a trial of strength between Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and PCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh.

For the Congress leader, it is his first electoral test after he became the PCC chief in place of Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal who resigned in the sake of a series of electoral reverses by the Congress in the parliamentary and the state assembly elections as well as byelections.

Apparently conscious of the fact that a Congress defeat in the Adampur byelection will put a question mark on his leadership, Capt Amarinder Singh is doing all he can to improve the electoral prospects of his party's candidate, Mr Kanwaljit Singh Lalli. Known for his rather laid-back style of functioning, he is this time drawing admiration from the rank and file of his party for his non-stop barnstorming tour of the constituency.

Mr Badal faces the third assembly byelection after he became the Chief Minister in February last. He is doing everything possible to make sure that his party, which earlier won the byelections in Qila Raipur and Sham Chaurasi, completes the hat-trick in Adampur. A tireless campaigner, Mr Badal has been leading the party's campaign and is leaving nothing to chance. Almost the entire Council of Ministers, including BJP ministers, has been camping here for the past nearly three weeks to ensure the victory of SAD nominee Dalbir Singh Dhirowal.

The third major candidate in the field for the seat is Mrs Vidwant Kaur (BSP), a former chairman of the mahila wing of the district Congress. She joined the BSP on being denied the Congress ticket. About 38 per cent of the electorate of the constituency is SC. Her poll managers are pinning hopes on this section.

Also in the field is Mr Anoop Singh Minhas put up by the Akali Dal (Amritsar) led by Mr Simranjit Singh Mann. He is being supported by the Akali Dal (Democratic) headed by Mr Kuldip Singh Wadala.

Adampur is a predominantly rural constituency. It has 140 villages but only three towns — Adampur, Alwalpur and Bhogpur. The total strength of the electorate is 1.32 lakh. Although nestling in the shadow of Jalandhar city, which is the heart of the pro-Congress Doaba region, Adampur has not returned a Congress candidate to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha during the past three decades.

The last time a Congressman won from here was Chaudhary Darshan Singh in 1967. Since then, the electorate of the constituency has been favouring the Akali Dal, the CPI and the BSP. On one occasion, an Independent, Mr Harbhajan Singh, was elected.

The seat has been represented in the state assembly by Mr Kulwant Singh (CPI), Mr Saroop Singh (Akali Dal-Badal) and Mr Rajinder Kumar (BSP). Incidentally, Mr Rajinder Kumar is now in the SAD and is actively campaigning against the BSP candidate because he was denied the ticket by the BSP supremo, Mr Kanshi Ram.

In the last assembly elections, Mr Saroop Singh polled about 38,000 votes winning the seat. Mr Kanwaljit Singh Lalli (Congress) secured 25,000 votes and was placed second while the BSP candidate, Mr Rajinder Kumar secured 17,000 votes.

The SAD is being supported in the election by its coalition partner, the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Morcha led by Mr Satnam Singh Kainth, MP. The Congress has the backing of the CPI and the CPM. The general perception about the overall poll scene in Adampur is that while the Dal (A) candidate will eat into the votes of the SAD, the BSP candidate, who has a Congress background, will undermine the prospects of the Congress nominee.