SAD chief on toes for 3 hours for photo shoot with workers

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 16

Though touted as SAD workers’ meet, it was a three-hour photo-shoot session that party chief Sukhbir Badal organised for voters of the Jalandhar Cantonment Assembly segment at Bath Castle, a marriage palace, here today.

With the Lok Sabha poll two months away in the state, the SAD president remained standing for three hours at various locations of the venue getting himself clicked with over 2,500 visitors at the Jalandhar cantonment, who made a beeline to reach close to him.

The leader, who as the Deputy Chief Minister stood apart from the crowd due to his Z-plus security keeping him at bay from everyone, was seen today obliging everyone by keeping his arms around them. He received everyone with a hug and smiled into their cell phones to ensure that everyone got a good click with him.

Perhaps realising that the party’s graph had fallen over panthic issues in the past two-three years, Sukhbir ensured that he managed to appease everyone present and that no one was left. He continued with the photo session till the last person at the venue came to him with a photo request. As he changed his location from the centre of the hall to verandah and finally to the stage, many even attempted to get better pictures clicked and came to him twice and he again readily obliged them with the same smile and passion.

Interestingly, the party had even hired a studio guy for providing clear, high-resolution, framed pictures of the event, which was 87th in the ongoing series. Party’s media managers shared: “We began the series with a workers’ meet format, making Sukhbir sit in the centre and allowing groups of 10-12 persons to talk to him about their problems. We realised that more than taking problems, the workers were more enthusiastic about taking pictures with him. Hence, it has been more of a photo session at all Assembly segments.”

An SAD worker quipped: “Even if half of them post their pictures with Sukhbir on Facebook or Whatsapp, our job is done. People only want to show off their closeness to a leader. The votes of all these people and their family members will be ours.”

Balbir Kaur, a cancer patient and wife of a daily wager from Paragpur, said: “I came here to tell him that I am reeling under financial trouble as the government is not allowing aid of over Rs 1.5 lakh. My medical expenses are far higher and I wanted him to take up issues for people like me but here, it was a different scene altogether.”

An NRI nihang came over to share that his brother had taken forcible possession of his property and had even conspired to attack him but went back disillusioned. A similar session was held again in Phagwara. Sukhbir obliged everyone by keeping his arms around them on both sides.

Leaders miss event

Not just Sukhbir, even former MLA Sarabjit Makkar remained standing with him. Barring Makkar, no other leader from the constituency, including former Jalandhar Improvement Trust chairmen Paramjit S Raipur and Baljit Singh Neelamahal, former senior deputy mayor Kamaljit Bhatia and HS Walia, attended the event. They were missing even from hoardings around the marriage palace with the event remaining only of Makkar. Even SAD leader Charanjit Atwal, whose candidature was announced by Sukhbir today, and his son Inder Iqbal Atwal were on the stage only for a short while. Regarding dissenting Akali leaders, Sukhbir Badal said: “SAD is a huge family. They will all fall in line.”