Malkiat Singh Dhaka''s kin his pillar of support

Gurvinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 22

Malkiat Singh Dakha's brother Tarlochan Singh is managing his poll campaign, while younger son Jasbir Singh, daughter Rajinder Kaur and daughters-in-law Rajwinder Kaur and Amarjit Kaur among other relatives are pooling in by going door-to-door seeking support for him.

Grandson Amanjit Singh is accompanying Dakha, former Cabinet minister and Congress candidate from Jagraon, in every campaign, answering his calls, managing social media accounts and publicity material.

Even though the family has seen many elections, Dakha's daughter-in-law Rajwinder Kaur said they were putting in a lot of labour this time because of the late declaration of the ticket to Dakha.

The Congress high command got very late in announcing the candidate from Jagraon and this derailed the preparations of the family.

"Our entire family was busy carrying out campaigns and making preparations for my grandfather to contest the elections. We were waiting for the high command to announce the ticket, but it was not announced in the first list and not even in the second list till December 22. When the third list, too, didn't mention our grandfather's name, the family got really upset," says Amanjit.

"We were totally taken aback that despite years of hard work for the party and people, the ticket was not announced in my grandfather's favour," he said.

"The family got together with supporters and took it up with the party high command and the hard work finally paid off," he said.

"So, when the ticket was finally given to my grandfather on January 15, the entire family got to work and started campaigning without losing a minute to make up for the loss," says the 19-year-old law student. "Now, all of us are going door-to-door seeking support for my grandfather," he said.