Constituency watch: Hoshiarpur

by Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi

Hoshiarpur, an urban constituency having 50 wards of Hoshiarpur city and 60 villages, has a diverse geography. Being closely connected to Himachal Pradesh, it is known as the gateway to Himachal. Traditionally considered a Congress bastion, the constituency has given chances to the BJP as well as socialists too. Situated at the dead end of the rail link, having a tag of backward area stick to its face for long, the area is struggling to come out of its backwardness, it requires much to be done. There are four major candidates of the main parties — the Congress, AAP, BJP and BSP-SAD combine —in the fray…

Sunder Sham Arora

Party: Congress

Age: 63 years

Qualification: BA II

Background: The sitting MLA of Hoshiarpur has represented the constituency twice in a row. Prior to it, he had contested as an Independent candidate and lost. Known as one of the topmost builders in the area, he has been into the realty business for decades.

Priorities:

1. To get the medial college started and make it functional will be the topmost priority

2. To provide more employment avenues to youth by means of industry and self-employment

3. To get the services of sanitation workers and other contractual employees of the MC regularised and their demands met

Brahm Shankar Jimpa

Party: Aam Aadmi Party

Age: 57 years

Qualification: BA II

Background: Five-time councillor Jimpa was in the Congress earlier and was appointed vice-chairman of the Punjab Industrial Development Board. He was the frontrunner for the Mayor’s seat in the 2021 MC elections, but was denied a ticket. He then left the Congress and resigning as vice-chairman of the PIDB, he contested and won as an Independent candidate. He left the Congress recently.

Priorities:

1. To renovate and improve Hoshiarpur Civil Hospital to provide services like private ones

2. To prepare a master plan for sanitation, cleaning of the city, improvement of govt schools

3. To bring in more opportunities of employment for youth of the area and promote cottage industry

Tikshan Sud

Party: BJP

Age: 68 years

Qualification: BSc, MA, LLB

Background: An advocate by profession, Tikshan had represented the Assembly constituency thrice, has been a minister holding various portfolios. He had to face defeat twice in a row in 2012 and 2017. This time he will be contesting to regain his lost position again.

Priorities:

1. To make all-out efforts to bring more and more industry to provide employment to youth of area

2. To improve the law and order situation and check theft and snatching incidents

3. To focus fully on the improvement of health services and development of area as a whole

Virinder Parhar

Party: SAD-BSP

Age: 62 years

Qualification: BSc, MBA

Background: An agriculturist by profession and an NRI, Parhar is known as a social activist for his Home for Homeless project in which he has provided pucca houses to more than 60 homeless people. He had been co-convener of the AAP’s NRI cell during the 2016-17 period, but left the party levelling serious allegations against party leadership.

Priorities:

1. To improve health services, especially the Civil Hospital; to ensure that all facilities are available as are in private hospitals

2. To prepare a special task force to check theft and snatching incidents in the city

3. To improve the standard of education in the area, especially in the government schools