LLB pass out, footballer pitted against each other for Patara ZP

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 13

Patara Zila Parishad falling in the Adampur Assembly segment is seeing an interesting clash between two young graduates. Their profile, however, has a stark contrast. While the Congress has fielded 26-year old Chandigarh-based law graduate Mehtab Singh Lally from the seat, the SAD has pitted 32-year-old footballer Lakhbir Hazara of Hazara village from there. Son of two-time former MLA Kawaljit Singh Lally, Mehtab S Lally is facing a stiff contest from the present Adampur MLA Pawan Tinu’s protégé Lakhbir, who is a first-timer politician from a typical, landlord family.

Campaigning in 40-45 villages falling under the Patara zone, Mehtab who has studied from DPS, Chandigarh, and graduated from DAV College, Chandigarh, has had to change his style a bit to do away with his urbanite look. He clads a kurta pyjama daily and gives a twist to his moustache as he moves on from village to village to campaign with his father.

An Arts graduate, Lakhbir boasts of his local connect.

“I have been in my village all my life. I have been a state-level football player and I know youth and elderly around quite well. I have organised sports festivals and served as the youth circle in-charge for the SAD for the past few years. When SAD was in power, I distributed gym and sports kits in villages along with Tinu,” he said

While Mehtab got recently married, Lakhbir is single and has got support of his UK-based NRI brother, who is here for his elections. Lakhbir attacks his Congress rival saying, “He got his vote cancelled in Chandigarh and made here just about two days before the elections got announced.”

Lally counters him saying, “What if I have been in Chandigarh? My dad was always here for people. He has served in his constituency even after Adampur got reserved and he could not contest any more. He maintained relations with people while putting up at Kotli Than Singh village here, where we even own a property. Now that Patara got de-reserved, he did not leave this chance and got me also here for the elections.”