Raikot: Cong, SAD citadel has all first-timers in poll fray

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, January 30

Raikot, which is the smallest Vidhan Sabha seat, in terms of voters and area, reserved for the Scheduled Caste members, in the district, which sends a maximum of 14 MLAs, accounting for almost 12 per cent of the total 117 members, to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, has all first-timers in the poll fray for the high-stakes Punjab Assembly polls scheduled to be held on February 20.

While the ruling Congress has fielded its Fatehgarh Sahib Member of Parliament Amar Singh’s son Kamil Amar Singh, the main Opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has nominated Hakam Singh. The BSP, which is contesting the rural seat in alliance with its new partner Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has given the ticket to Balwinder Singh Sandhu while the newly-formed two farmers’ outfits — Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), comprising 19 farm unions, including the one led by Balbir Singh Rajewal, and Sanyukt Sangharsh Party (SSP) formed by Haryana farm leader Gurnam Singh Charuni, which have also formed an alliance, have launched Dr Jagtar Singh. The Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt), led by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, which has joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress (PLC), has fielded another new face Gurpal Singh Goldy from here.

The AAP and the SAD (Sanyukt) nominees are the turncoats, who have joined these outfits after leaving the Congress recently.

Kamil (34), who has done MBA from the University of Cambridge, UK, in 2015, is seeking votes in the name of his father Dr Amar Singh, a retired 1981-batch MP cadre IAS officer. A spokesperson for the Punjab Congress, he had managed the elections of his father in 2017 and 2019. Dr Singh had unsuccessfully fought his maiden election from Raikot in 2017 but was elected MP from Fatehgarh Sahib, of which Raikot is a part, in 2019 on the Congress ticket.

Hakam (66), who had left the Congress in May last year after serving it for over three decades to join AAP, is promising change in the present system to ensure welfare of all sections of society. A government contractor by profession, he had remained the Ludhiana District Congress president, state unit secretary, and vice-president of the Raikot Municipal Council.

Sandhu (58) is seeking votes for better education, health and sports facilities. Running a gas agency in Ludhiana, he had remained a member of his native Gobindgarh village panchayat, block samiti member and municipal councillor in Ludhiana.

Dr Jagtar (64), who is a retired IRS officer, is seeking votes for saving the state and its people, especially farmers. Also a PhD in Agriculture, he had retired as the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax and had been actively involved in social work in the fields of health, environment and mass marriages of needy girls.

Goldy (38), who had left the Congress after being denied the party ticket on January 15 to join the Dhindsa’s SAD, is promising all-round development of the state with the help of the BJP government at the Centre. Running a steel industry in Mohali, he had remained spokesperson of the Punjab Congress, which he had served for 15 years.

In 2017, the AAP’s Jagtar Singh Jagga Hissowal, who had also recently joined the Congress and was fielded from Jagraon this time, had defeated Dr Amar Singh of the Congress by a margin of 10,614 votes, by polling 48,245 votes, which accounted for 41.22 per cent vote share, against 37,631 votes, constituting 32.15 per cent of the total polled votes, secured by Dr Singh. While the SAD’s Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal, son of former Assembly Speaker Dr Charanjit Singh Atwal, had polled 29,019 votes, accounting for 24.79 per cent vote share, all other four candidates, including BSP’s Surinder Singh, who had got 878 votes, constituting 0.75 per cent vote share, had lost their security deposits. As many as 816 voters, accounting for 0.7 per cent vote share, had opted for “none of the above” (NOTA).

CANDIDATESPEAK

We’re seeking votes on the basis of our party and our own family’s performance and service in the past five years. We have fulfilled all pending demands of the area in the past three decades. We will ensure overall development and welfare of all sections of society. — Kamil Amar Singh, Congress

We will replicate the AAP’s Delhi model of governance in Punjab to make it power surplus and ensuring never-seen before education and health facilities, besides ensuring welfare of all, especially women. — Hakam Singh, AAP

We will improve education, health and sports facilities, which are in bad shape. Our alliance with the SAD will bring back pro-people regime in the state. — Balwinder Singh Sandhu, BSP

We will save Punjab from the clutches of traditional parties by bringing about a change in the system. We will ensure welfare of all, especially farmers, and make state debt-free by cutting down on expenses and ramping up resources. — Dr Jagtar Singh, SSM

We will generate more employment opportunities to check widespread unemployment and ensure justice in sacrilege cases. We will also ensure release of Sikh prisoners and bring major industry to Punjab with the help of the BJP government at the Centre. — Gurpal Singh Goldy, SAD (Sanyukt)

The Winners

• Jagtar Singh Hissowal (AAP): 2017
• Gurcharan Singh (Cong): 2012
• HS Pardhaan (Cong): 2007, 1997
• Ranjit Singh Talwandi (SAD): 2002
• Nirmal Singh (Congress): 1992
• Talib Singh (SAD): 1985
• Jagdev Singh (Cong): 1980
• Dev Raj Singh (SAD): 1977
• Jagdev Singh (SAD): 1972, 1969, 1967
• Gurnam Singh (Akali Dal): 1962
• Bhag Singh (Cong): 1957
• Wazir Singh (Cong): 1957
• P Singh (Cong): 1957

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