Shahkot seat: Many in queue for Cong ticket

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 18

With the Shahkot Assembly seat falling vacant, many Congress leaders have already set their eyes on the constituency and have begun intense lobbying for it.

Five-time Akali MLA Ajit Singh Kohar had passed away two weeks back. The SAD is likely to pick either his son Naib Singh or law-graduate grandson Bachitar Singh for the constituency.

After the ‘bhog’ two days back, the duo has separately begun holding meetings with people and taking their opinion.

Former CM Parkash Singh Badal and SAD president Sukhbir Badal have visited the family twice this month and held long sittings with them. A final announcement is awaited.

While the SAD has already begun making all-out efforts to not let its already low tally of 15 come down, the Congress would like to improve its score of 77.

However, there are many claimants on the Congress side. Having lost in the 2017 Assembly poll by nearly 5,000 votes from Kohar, Hardev Singh Laadi Sherowalia, a confidant of former minister Rana Gurjit Singh, is retrying for a ticket.

Also in the race are former MLA Jagbir Brar and Congress spokesperson Dr Navjot Dahiya. Both are closely associated with Finance Minister Manpreet Badal. Brar and Dahiya have been with him in the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) that Manpreet had formed after quitting SAD.

Brar, who is Manpreet’s cousin, however could not carry on with him and then had quit his party to join the Congress. The duo is together now in the Congress and have redeveloped their relationship.

Brar is also said to be close to CM Capt Amarinder Singh. Amarinder, who had declared him to be his choice for the Jalandhar Cantonment candidature, had to give the ticket to former Akali MLA Pargat Singh with Navjot Sidhu using his pressure from the high command at the time of their entry to the party. Brar had to be moved to Nakodar where he lost to the sitting Akali MLA.

Dahiya, an orthopaedic surgeon, is banking upon Manpreet — for staying loyal to him in the PPP — to make his claim.

Among the other Congress contenders is Capt Harminder Singh, president of the District Congress Committee (Rural). He has been organising ex-servicemen events for the Congress in Jalandhar and is using his links with Senior Advisor to CM Lieut-Gen TS Shergill.

The name of former Punjab CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal too has emerged as a likely candidate. Asked about her plans, Bhattal, who had lost from Lehragaga last year, said, “I have so far not given it a thought. But if the party high command decides so, I may make up my mind for it.”