Son key strategist for SAD veteran

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 27

From making campaign strategies till its final execution, Darshan Singh Shivalik’s son Harpreet Singh Shivalik (37) is taking care of the entire poll campaign of his father.

SAD MLA from Gill constituency — Shivalik, had won the last Assembly elections in a row from Dakha and Gill constituencies, respectively. Shivalik’s wife Paramjit Kaur, who is a sitting councillor from ward No. 58, is serving her third term and is also turning out to be a great help for her husband.

She is campaigning for her husband by forming special women groups. “We don’t campaign on cars or with long cavalcade of vehicles, but by meeting people door to door,” she said. Shivalik’s son Harpreet, who is also a member of Zila Parishad and a bizman, said: “Ever since the campaign started, I have been devoting my every minute to the constituency. I prepare the entire route plan for the campaign, coordinate with party cadre and workers, and manage the entire functioning of election office as well. I usually prepare a three-day advance schedule for my father, mother and myself,” Harpreet said.

The MLA’s son said everyone in the family holds parallel campaigns in the constituency because it was not possible for only three of them to campaign collectively at one place. “Gil is the largest constituency in the state having 151 panchayats, including small villages with 2.38 lakh voters. To cover all villages and households all three of us — my father, mother and me — prefer parallel campaigns only,” he said. He said he counts achievement of his father before voters, adding that the inclusion of several villages in the MC limits was one of the biggest achievements. He said due to this several irregular colonies in the villages became regular and started getting sewerage connections and supply of potable water.