Constituency Watch Gurdaspur: Drug issue missing from political discourse

Tribune News Service

Ravi Dhaliwal

Gurdaspur, May 7

Gurdaspur was once a Congress bastion (party won 13 of 19 elections), but, in recent years, the political configurations have changed with the BJP-SAD combine triumphing in five of the last seven polls here.

This Lok Sabha seat has had its share of showbiz with two actors, Vinod Khanna and Sunny Deol, remaining MPs. It is another matter that while one constructed bridges, the other did little.

Total votes

16,38,886

Male: 8,44,773

Female: 7,94,078

Transgender: 35

It has also had its share of misfortunes and broken promises.

This is a constituency where the ‘elephant in the room’ syndrome exists. Everybody knows the heroin problem has touched gigantic proportions yet nobody is willing to have a discussion. This is because it makes all stakeholders - the BSF, the police, parents, administration - uncomfortable. Stop the Pakistani drones from infiltrating into India’s skies and half the battle will be won. But, unfortunately, that is not to be as jobless youths continue to see heroin as a drug that wishes away all their sufferings and agony.

Earlier, the main electoral battle used to be between the Congress and the BJP-SAD combine. However, this time with the alliance partners splitting coupled with the emergence of AAP, the rules of the game have changed. For the first time, instead of having a two-party contest, the decks are cleared for a four-cornered one.

Congress stalwart Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder won the seat on five successive occasions. Over the years, she had acquired an aura of invincibility. Political parties were wary of fielding candidates against her, such was her charisma.

In 1998, the Congress again fielded Bhinder for the sixth time. This time the BJP was ready. It played its trump card by bringing in superstar ‘Dayavan’ Vinod Khanna. The Peshawar born Punjabi-speaking actor arrived in the constituency riding on some super-hit blockbusters. He punctured Bhinder’s aura of invincibility and won by one lakh votes, signalling the end of the Bhinder era.

The constituency is spread over two revenue and three police districts. Politicians have developed a special affinity for the 1.50 lakh strong Christian and 3.75 lakh Scheduled Caste vote bank. They know that these communities have the potential to swing an election, hence the attraction.

The area is besotted with numerous problems that require the Central intervention. However, none of the MPs has touched these problems. They came, played to their own constituencies and faded into oblivion. The new MP should also take a drive in his own vehicles to see the deplorable condition of the Gurdaspur-Mukerian road which links the constituency with other parts of the country. This constituency has had 10 MPs so far and not even a single one has taken up the issue of connecting Gurdaspur to Mukerian with a railway line. Now, residents going to New Delhi have to travel to Amritsar, 70 kms away, before they can catch a Delhi-bound train. Once the Gurdaspur-Mukerian rail track sees light of the day, people can visit Delhi via Jalandhar.

Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa (Cong)

A four-time MLA, Randhawa is well-versed with pulls and pressures of local politics. During the construction of the Kartarpur corridor in 2018-19, he brought in development projects worth Rs 172 crore to his Assembly segment Dera Baba Nanak. The corridor had run into trouble when the mining mafia suddenly increased the rates of sand and gravel. He handled the situation deftly following which the mafia fell in line.

Daljit Singh Cheema (SAD)

The soft-spoken and affable Daljit Cheema remained the Education Minister from 2014-2017. Before that, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had designated him as his adviser in the Cabinet rank. He is the SAD’s long-time troubleshooter. Whenever party president Sukhbir Badal faces a problem, Cheema is his go-to person. He has remained the Chairman of the Sub-Committee of Central Advisory Board for Education.

Dinesh Singh Babbu (BJP)

Babbu is a three-time MLA from Sujanpur. He remained an ex-Speaker. He mitigated the sufferings of people living in the Dhar segment, falling in his constituency, by providing them round-the-clock drinking water. His USP is that he belongs to the Rajput community, which has a strong presence in the constituency. He started his career while in college and remained a general secretary of the ABVP.

Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi (AAP)

Kalsi is the sitting Batala MLA. In 2017, he was seeking the ticket but the party fielded Gurpreet Ghuggi. He did not rave and rant and instead helped the party’s cause. Win or lose, his prime aim is to ensure he notches up a lead from his home seat. If he does not, it will be a big setback for his career. The party settled down on Kalsi because he is young and acceptable to all factions in the party.

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