AAP candidates taking to boats, climbing hillocks to reach voters

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 21

Who said campaigning was easy? When one segment has a river passing through it and another, non-motorable roads and hillocks, canvassing becomes a test of stamina and endurance. Ask AAP candidates Sajjan Singh Cheema (Sultanpur Lodhi) and Dr Ravjot Singh (Sham Chaurasi).

Cheema often takes a boat to cross the Beas and reach Mand area, while Dr Singh climbs up and down hilly tracks in Dholbaha to reach out to the electorate.

Arjuna awardee basketball player, Cheema has been campaigning for almost seven months. “I visited my house in Jalandhar a few times ever since I started canvassing. I am putting up in Sultanpur Lodhi so that it is easy for me to commute. Otherwise, it is impossible to follow the tough routine that an AAP candidate is expected of,” he says.

The former Superintendent of Police (SP) campaigned when summers and monsoon were at their peak. And now in these chilly conditions, there’s been no let up in his campaign. “The pontoon bridge on the Beas which is a link to Mand area is lifted during the monsoons. So, I crossed the river on a boat even when it was swollen.” The result of his long campaign has been five visits to easily accessible areas of Sultanpur Lodhi. “But I could cover Baupur and other villages that form islands in Beas only twice,” says Cheema, who took a boat to Mehmoodpur village today to meet about 200 people again.

As for Dr Singh, who owns a hospital in Hoshiarpur, he traverses a tough terrain to reach out to every house in his segment. The kandi area in the Sham Chaurasi segment has villages on hillocks that are inaccessible by road.

“In a day, I usually cover six to seven villages in plains, while only half a village is covered in kandi area where houses are 500 metres apart. As there is a risk of wild animals in the area, my supporters and I wind up the campaign by 5 pm,” he says.

Any laxity in canvassing, given the tough terrain candidates traverse? To ensure there’s no slackness, party observers have been sent from Delhi to monitor campaigning. Observers ensure that every household is covered.