Sukhwinder Singh Danny Bandala tries to woo voters with his oratory skills

Manmeet Singh Gill

Amritsar, February 12

Sukhwinder Singh Danny Bandala, sitting Congress MLA from Jandiala reserved constituency, is in a tough triangular contest this election, but he remains calm and makes no personal attacks, which has become a fashion in election campaigns.

Veeh tarik nu tarke uth k, aalu wale pranthe kha k, te pee k cha da cup, mohra la deo panje te thap thap. Sukhwinder Singh Danny Bandala, sitting Congress MLA from Jandiala

He engages people with his oratory skills, humours them and involves them in the conservation.

“I am not here to give a speech. I am here to talk which involves listening too,” he later said, adding that he tries to learn about issues of the general public and then tries to resolve them.

While he is waiting for his turn on the dais in Malkeet Singh Nagar, a youth approaches him. He asks him to sit on the table in front of him and talks to him for a few minutes.

Later, he told people that youth had approached him with a request for a playground. “You would not only get a playground but a gymnasium too,” he tells them.

He also let people, especially youngsters’ take pictures with him. Even though his staff asks people to hurry as Danny is getting late for the next program at Dhardeo, Danny is mindful of not to annoy a single supporter.

As he walks towards his car, people start coming up with different issues. A woman carrying a child tells him about the defect in the toddler’s legs. He promises to get the child examined by the specialists.

Another elderly comes up with a request for a job for a young widow. He asks if she is getting the widow pension. “First we would get her the pension and then we would help her with whatever we can,” he responds. The dalits of the village seem satisfied with his humble attitude.

In Dhardeo and at other gatherings, he reminds people of the help he had rendered them during Covid pandemic. “If the leaders of other parties who are contesting elections had come too,” he asked the gathering.

When people said that no one had come, he asked again, “Then why are they now coming to install their flags.” Then he tells them that they have come for votes and would not come back after elections.

Summing up his speech, he says, “Veeh tarik nu tarke uth k, aalu wale pranthe kha k, te pee k cha da cup, mohra la deo panje te thap thap.” (Wake up early in the morning on February 20. Eat pranthas, drink a cup of tea and then go to vote for hand, the Congress election symbol).

A few of his supporters raise the slogan, Ghar ghar hoka lawa ge, Danny nu jitawan ge.