LS polls: PDA’s Daswinder optimistic of public support

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 8

The Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) will be a force to reckon with in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls if the support we are getting from the masses is anything to go by, says CPI leader Daswinder Kaur, who is contesting as PDA candidate from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat.

Daswinder Kaur says is well aware about the tough competition she is bound to face from Gurjeet Aujla of the Congress and Hardeep Puri of the BJP. Daswinder Kaur is banking on “frustration” among the people who are “disappointed with the performances of both the traditional parties”. She said the Aam Aadmi Party too had lost its base in Punjab as its workers were supporting the PDA, led by Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who had recently launched his own political outfit — Punjab Ekta Party.

The PDA comprises of CPI, Lok Insaf Party of Bains brothers, BSP, CPM and RMPI.

“People are expressing their desire to support and vote for PDA but they say they could not openly come as they have pressures from our parties,” she pointed out.

Daswinder Kaur is the only woman contesting from Amritsar while there are a total 30 candidates in the fray. She had contested the Amritsar bypoll in 2017 necessitated after the resignation of Capt Amarinder Singh as MP from the holy city. Daswinder remained fourth at that time, while Gurjeet Aujla of the Congress had won the seat.

She starts her day with door-to-door campaign in different areas of the city and visiting the remotest villages in the border belt to garner support. Her main focus is on labourers and poor people staying in grain markets and villages.

“We are fighting the polls on the basis of primary issues concerning the people including education, health and employment,” she said. With the farming community in utter duress and employment opportunity is dwindling especially in the rural belt, the young and teenage were falling prey to rampant drug abuse and trafficking. Even small kids have taken to smuggling intoxicants, she pointed out.

Narrating an instance Daswinder Kaur said she visited Nathupura village near border. “When we were leaving the place, women came to us. They were virtually in tears urging us to get their wards shun drugs,” she said. “Unfortunately, the governments are busy in making hollow claims while people are forced carry bodies of their wards on their shoulders due to drugs scourge,” Daswinder said.

When asked why no major leader of the party had come to hold rally or support her till now while BJP’s and Congress’s top leaders were visiting holy city to support their candidates. She said the party would hold a rally on May 10 in which prominent communist leaders would be arriving. BSP supremo Mayawati would also hold a rally in Nawan Shehar, she said.