Day to go for Sutlej Club poll, campaigning in feverish pitch

With 24 hours left for the annual elections to the 10 posts of Ludhiana’s elite Sutlej Club, electioneering reached a feverish pitch here on Friday.

As many as 2,700 valid voters of the total 3,240 members would decide the fate of 18 candidates for the eight posts of the club, which will go to the poll on Sunday. The polling would be held between 9 am and 5 pm, following which the counting of polled votes would be held and results would be announced.

While the contestants have pulled all stops to woo the voters, Dr Sulbha Jindal and Tina Bansal were elected unopposed to the posts of Sports Secretary and Lady Executive. Dr Sulbha was elected unopposed to the same post last year as well.

Those in the fray include Sanjay Kappor and Prof Arvind Malhotra for the post of vice-president, Dr Ashish Ahuja, Dr Ajit Chawla and Gurmeet Kairon for general secretary, Maninder Singh Bedi and Dr Simran Pal Bindra for joint secretary, Jasdeep Nalwa and KPS Walia for finance secretary, Harkesh Mittal, Dr Dhawan and Rattan Deep Bawa for cultural secretary, Vivek Sharma and Subodh Batish for mess secretary, Bhupinde Dev and SS Bedi for bar secretary, and Vidhur Khosla, Mani, and Dr Shiv Gupta were in the race for the post of executive member.

While Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal is the ex-officio president of the club, the most coveted post is that of the general secretary for which Dr Ashish Ahuja, a bariatric surgeon, is giving a tough fight to other two contestants — Dr Ajit Chawla and Gurmeet Kairon.

Coming from a family of doctors serving in different specialities, Dr Ahuja has been pledged support by leading industrialists, including Oswal, Munjal, Avon, Trident, Janpath, Kangaroo and Octave Groups. Besides, the Pakshi Sewa Society and Jewellers Association have also come out in his support.

Keeping the contest alive, Dr Chawla and Kairon, with the help of their links and resources, were also mustering active support from the voters by promising better management and services.

The prestigious Sutlej Club with a rich history is spread over 5 acres in Ludhiana’s Civil Lines. Initially an officers’ club, it has maintained its exclusivity with around 3,240 elite members, including 2,700 active voters.

The club dates back to the British era when the Britishers had started it as an officers’ club with the serving Deputy Commissioner as its president in ex-officio capacity in mid 1940s.

The elite class, including officers, professionals, doctors, educationists and businessmen, are members of the club.

Polling to elect eight office-bearers of the club would be held on Sunday between 9 am and 5 pm, following which the counting of polled votes would be held and results would be announced.