Constituency watch: Nakodar

By Ashok Kaura

Nakodar is popularly known as the land of saints, as it houses popular deras, including those of Baba Murad Shah and Dera Lal Badshah. A majority of the houses here have youth settled abroad, especially in Canada. Lack of job opportunities, potholed roads, lack of sanitation facilities, traffic chaos have marred semi-rural areas. A triangular contest could be witnessed among the Congress, AAP and SAD-BSP in Nakodar. Here are the main candidates...

Dr Navjot Singh Dahiya

Party: Congress
Age: 53 years
Qualification: MCh Orthopaedics

Background: Dr Dahiya is a renowned orthopaedician and runs private hospitals. He is also the national vice-president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). He is a member of the PPCC campaign committee. He was recently appointed chairman, General Categories Commission, Government of Punjab. Earlier also, he has served as the spokesperson of PPCC.

Priorities:
1. Better health and education
2. Corruption-free environment
3. Modernisation of farming

Inderjit Kaur Maan

Party: Aam Aadmi Party
Age: 53 years
Qualification: Graduate

Background: Inderjit Kaur Maan started her political career as a block samiti member in 2002 and later remained the sarpanch of Bir Pind till 2019 end. As a sarpanch, she has organised various campaigns to improve female sex ratio and promote tree plantation.

Priorities:
1. Beautifying entry points in Nakodar
2. Installing traffic lights in Nakodar town
3. To set up ring road around Bilga

Gurpartap Singh Wadala

Party: SAD
Age: 59 years
Qualification: BEE

Background: Son of Akali stalwart Kuldip Singh Wadala, who led the campaign for the opening of Kartarpur corridor, he started his political career as Wadala village sarpanch and was elected the block samiti member. Then, he was appointed as the YAD general secretary. He contested his first Assembly election from Nakodar in 2012 and got re-elected in 2017.

Priorities:
1. Setting up industry in Nakodar
2. Making Nakodar a sports hub
3. Revamping rural roads

Mandip Singh Samra

Party: Sanyukt Samaj Morcha
Age: 45 years
Qualification: Class XII

Background: He is a resident of Samra village and a renowned farmer and district president of Bhartiya Kisan Union. He is the choice of farmers for Nakodar seat. He starts his door-to-door campaign in the wee hours and many youngsters are seen supporting him.

Priorities:
1. Develop farming
2. Corruption-free system
3. To improve medical and education infrastructure

SHAMMI KALYAN

Party: Punjab Lok Congress
Age: 63 years
Qualification: MA (History)

Background: In a sudden change in the list of Punjab Lok Congress, a retired police officer AIG Shammi Kalyan (retd) will be the candidate of PLC from Nakodar now in place of hockey Olympian Ajit Pal Singh. Kalyan retired as AIG from the Punjab Police Academy Phillaur three years ago.

Priorities:
1. Corruption-free system
2. To provide better education and health facilities
3. To prevent youngsters from migrating abroad

ADC visits SDM office in Nakodar

Nakodar: Additional Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, Amarjit Singh Bains, PCS, on Saturday visited the SDM office, Nakodar, to take stock of the preparations of the election in the assembly constituency. Nakodar SDM Poonam Singh apprised him of various teams that had been put on election duty. The SDM also apprised the ADC of various preparations made for the smooth conduct of the election. Bains put his signature in the signature campaign being initiated in the assembly constituency to strengthen democracy. — OC

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