Constituency watch: Kartarpur

Areserved constituency, Kartarpur has traditionally been a Congress stronghold. Having been with Congress stalwart Chaudhary Jagjit Singh from 1980 to 2002, the seat has Chaudhary Jagjit’s son Chaudhary Surinder Singh as its sitting MLA. The seat swayed to the Shiromani Akali Dal in the 2007 and 2012 elections. In 2007, Dalit leader Avinash Chander won from here and in 2012 former SAD leader Sarwan Singh Phillaur came out victorious. It was reclaimed by the Congress in 2017. In the 2017 Assembly polls, Chaudhary Surinder Singh won the seat by defeating Seth Sat Paul from Akali Dal with a margin of 6,020 votes.Here are main candidates from the seat:

Surinder Singh

Party: Congress

Age: 65 years

Qualification: Postgraduate

Background: Belonging to a hardcore political family, Chaudhary Surinder Singh comes from a line of Congress loyalists. He represents the political legacy started by grandfather Master Gurbanta Singh. His father Chaudhary Jagjit Singh was a five-time MLA from Kartarpur. Jalandhar MP Santokh Chaudhary is his uncle. He has formerly been sarpanch of the Dhaliwal village and was also chairman of the block samiti as well as zila parishad.

Priorities:

1. Better housing for the poor.

2. Improving medical infra

3. Better education, creating employment opportunities

Surinder Mahey

Party: BJP
Age: 63
Qualification: Class VIII

Background: Mahey was a prominent face of the Congress and had been city’s mayor. He had been miffed with the party for being regularly ignored during ticket disbursal. In 2017, he had been seeking ticket from Jalandhar West from the Congress but on being denied it, he contested as an Independent. He had subsequently been removed from the party for “anti-party activities”. Mahey joined the BJP in July 2020.

Priorities:
1. Better drainage system for constituency
2. Eradication of drug menace, ending sand mining
3. Pension provision to all elderly

Balwinder SIngh

Party: SAD-BSP
Age: 45 years
Qualification: Double MA, LLB

Background: Former journalist Balwinder Singh joined the BSP in 2014 hoping to bring a change in politics. He had contested on the Jalandhar seat from BSP during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, bagging over 2 lakh votes. Balwinder had been speaking of Dalit issues and also indulging in social work back when he still hadn’t been a part of any political party. Joining the BSP in 2014, he believes politics is a platform to bring change in society.

Priorities: 1. Better medical infrastructure, hospitals

2. Better sports facilities

3. Upgrade of school infra

Balkar Singh

Party: AAP
Age: 59 years
Qualification: BA, B.Ed

Background: Having served with the police for 32 years, he formally joined the AAP in June last year. This is his maiden electoral outing. He has been posted as SHO, DSP, SP and DCP while he was with the police force. His last posting in the police was as Jalandhar DCP. In June last year, Balkar had embraced the ‘broom’. His disillusionment with the Congress and lack of action in post-matric scholarship scheme were the prime reasons he left the party and joined the AAP.

Priorities:
1. 24×7 power
2. Health guarantees, free treatment at hospitals
3. Ensuring security of women