Guruharsahai awaits fair deal

Anirudh Gupta

At an annual fair, thousands of devotees throng Guruharsahai town to have a glimpse of a mala (rosary), believed to be that of Guru Nanak. It’s on display at Pothi Mala gurdwara. Till a few years ago, Guru Nanak’s pothi (book) was also displayed — before it was stolen.

During the fair, the residents’ problems are compounded. “Heavy traffic, encroachments on the roads and haphazard parking are the bane of the town,” says Dr Ijaypal Singh. “Residents have raised the matter several times, but the authorities simply don’t listen,” he adds.

The town was upgraded to a sub-division in 2011, but development eludes its residents even though it is a hub of rice trade. Madan Narula, a senior citizen, points out another problem: poor water supply.

Since 1952, the Congress has won the seat eight times. Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, an aide of PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh, won thrice on the trot, starting from 2002. His victory margin, however, came down from 18,570 votes in 2007 to 3,249 last time. Vardev Singh Mann (SAD) gave him a tough fight in 2012.

The Congress has fielded Sodhi for the fifth time. He is banking on “unprecedented development” during 2002-07, when the Congress was in power in Punjab. He claims to have played a key role in getting SC status for Rai Sikhs, who constitute a sizeable chunk of the electorate.

The SAD has again put its stakes on Vardev, son of three-time Ferozepur MP late Zora Singh Mann. AAP has named Malkit Singh Thind, a social worker.