Deep Insight Jalandhar West: Close contest between Congress & BJP on cards

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, February 16

A keen contest between the ruling Congress and the BJP is likely from the reserved Jalandhar West seat for the state Assembly poll. While leaders of both parties and the AAP and SAD-BSP combine have been campaigning hard, results depend largely on which party dominant Ravidassia, Valmiki and Bhagat communities vote for.

Even though the constituency is considered a Congress stronghold, the BJP, too, has a strong base here as its leader Chuni Lal Bhagat has won from the seat thrice — in 1997, 2007 and 2012. This time around, the BJP has once again fielded Mahinder Pal Bhagat, son of Chuni Lal Bhagat, while the Congress has reposed faith in Sushil Rinku, who won from the seat in 2017 by a margin of nearly 17,000 votes.

CM Channi campaigned for Rinku about a week ago and even rode a motorcycle with him during a roadshow in his constituency, while PM Modi, HP CM Jai Ram Thakur, Hardeep Puri and other BJP leaders addressed rallies and public meetings in favour of Mahinder Pal Bhagat.

Besides, both the leaders have been campaigning aggressively by addressing eight to 10 public meetings on a daily basis and visiting as many localities and people as they can.

Moreover, former state AAP spokesman Shiv Dyal Mali, who had questioned the AAP over giving the ticket to former BJP leader Sheetal Angural from the constituency, is canvassing for Mohinder Bhagat without joining the saffron outfit. Likewise, former AAP leader Darshan Bhagat, who was the party’s candidate from the seat in 2017, is also campaigning in support of the BJP. If sources are to be believed, this would help the BJP to consolidate votes of the Bhagat community.

Despite facing a lot of opposition, the AAP has given the ticket to former BJP leader Sheetal Angural, who is under a cloud for some criminal cases. Opposing his candidature, the party workers even gheraoed AAP state party affairs co-in charge Raghav Chadha here outside the Press Club and even a scuffle broke out between old workers and the supporters of Sheetal and another new entrant Dinesh Dhall.

Meanwhile, not moved by the stiff opposition of old workers, the AAP’s CM candidate Bhagwant Mann held a press conference in the city supporting Sheetal’s candidature. Even Delhi CM Kejriwal today held a roadshow here to campaign for party candidates.

As the SAD and the BSP is contesting in alliance this time, they chose to give ticket to fresh face Anil Minia, an MBA passout, who was associated with BAMCEF movement of Kanshi Ram for 20 years. He had quit his job last year, only to join the BSP. Although his campaigning is going well and even SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal too has appealed for voting in his favour, the party hasn’t had a very strong presence on the ground.

TRADITIONALLY SPEAKING

• The BJP has won from the seat thrice in 1997, 2007 & 2012. From 1977-92, Congress won five times in a row and regained the seat after a gap in 2002. It has remained a stronghold of Kaypee family as veteran leader Darshan Singh Kaypee won from here twice, while his son Mohinder Singh Kaypee won it thrice.

Voterspeak

• “Drugs and liquor business is going on openly in the constituency under the patronage of the police and politicians. There are illegal lottery stalls in every nook and corner of the city, but the incumbent MLA has failed to act on all these issues,” said Priya Verma, a resident of Basti Danishmanda.
• Another resident Mukul Joshi, who lives near Football Chowk, said traffic congestion, waterlogging and poor law and order situation are some of the big problems of the constituency. He said a large number of illegal colonies were flourishing here, but no action was being taken.