Bhagat family braces up for ministerial berth after 12 yrs

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, July 13

After the landslide victory of AAP candidate Mohinder Bhagat in the Jalandhar West bypoll, his family has once again become hopeful of getting a ministerial berth after a span of nearly 12 years.

The huge victory of Bhagat, who polled 55,246 votes and won with a margin of 37,325 votes, has baffled everyone, including his family and even AAP leaders. Since Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had promised the voters that he would make him a minister in his Cabinet upon his victory, the family is keeping the fingers crossed.

Mohinder’s father Bhagat Chunni Lal had remained minister in the SAD-BJP rule for 10 years in the two tenures commencing in 2007 and 2012. He had got the portfolio of Medical Education and Research. In the second tenure, he was also the Minister for Local Bodies Department and later for Forests and Wild Life, and Labour. He is now 92.

In the past few years of Bhagat Chunni Lal’s tenure when he was nearing 80, Mohinder Bhagat had become the de facto minister and was handling most of his work. Now, it is Mohinder’s son Atul Bhagat, who not only handles two sports goods manufacturing companies that the family runs, but also supports him politically.

The Bhagat family has been contesting all elections since 2007 from Jalandhar West. In 2007, Bhagat Chunni Lal as BJP candidate had polled 56,775 votes defeating Congress’ MS Kaypee with 44,860 votes. In 2012, Bhagat Chunni Lal again won polling 48,207 votes and trouncing Congress’ Suman Kaypee, wife of MS Kaypee, who got 36,864 votes.

In 2017, Bhagat Chunni Lal handed over the baton to his son. Then as BJP candidate Mohinder Bhagat lost his first election to then Congress candidate Sushil Rinku, who got 53,983 votes. Mohinder Bhagat could then poll only 36,649 votes. Mohinder Bhagat could not make it for the second time again in 2022 when he had lost to AAP candidate Sheetal Angural, who got 39,213 votes and then Congress candidate Sushil Rinku who polled 34,960 votes. Mohinder Bhagat on BJP’s wicket was then third at 33,486 votes.

Within two years, things started coming in his favour once again. He joined AAP in 2023 and was appointed as the halqa in-charge of the party. Till then, there was no scope for any bypoll. His stars kept on changing as party MLA Sheetal Angural quit AAP in March this year, his resignation got accepted and Mohinder Bhagat is set to reach the Vidhan Sabha, most likely as a minister.

Chunni Lal remained minister in SAD-BJP rule

Mohinder Bhagat’s father Bhagat Chunni Lal had remained minister in the SAD-BJP rule for 10 years in the two tenures commencing in 2007 and 2012. He had got the portfolio of Medical Education and Research. In the second tenure, he was also the Minister for Local Bodies Department and later for Forests and Wild Life, and Labour. He is now 92.