Harsimrat in fray, electioneering picks up

Tribune News Service

Lambi, March 25

With the Shiromani Akali Dal declaring Harsimrat Kaur Badal as its candidate from the Bathinda parliamentary seat, for the third time in a row, the party leadership has become active in former CM Parkash Singh Badal’s home turf — Lambi. On the other hand, the Congress leadership is yet to plunge into poll mode and is awaiting the announcement of ticket.

Notably, the Lambi Assembly segment falls in Bathinda parliamentary constituency. Harsimrat had won the 2014 election from this constituency by a margin of 34,219 votes.

For the last three days, Harsimrat has been regularly holding marathon meetings with party workers from different Assembly constituencies falling in Bathinda parliamentary constituency at her Badal village residence here. She has so far met the party workers from Bhucho, Mansa and Budhlada Assembly constituencies to get a direct feedback of the situation on ground and motivated them to work hard for the party.

Similarly, the SAD SC wing is holding meetings in villages here, has even constituted a 100-member committee for the elections. Bikkar Singh Channu, SC wing president of SAD’s Muktsar district, who is also junior vice-president of the SGPC, said, “We are holding meetings regularly in villages, appealing to our workers to inform people about the pro-poor policies launched during the SAD-BJP regime.”

Further, the SAD has formed village-wise and ward-wise committees in this VVIP constituency.

In contrast, the Congress leadership is yet to plunge into poll mode. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, former district president of the Congress, who was the covering candidate of Capt Amarinder Singh from Lambi Assembly segment in the Assembly elections held in 2017, said, “Our cadre is already charged as the Congress is in power in the state whereas the SAD has been decimated. Once the ticket is announced, our cadre will be seen working with full enthusiasm.”

Another Congress leader said, “Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal is active in Bathinda. Recently, he spent about a week and held meetings with party workers there.”

Similarly, Punjabi Ekta Party chief Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who announced his candidature from Bathinda, on Monday formally started his campaign by holding a road show from Mansa. His entering the arena has enlivened the proceedings.