Sahnewal: Multiple aspirants for Cong ticket may fail to present a unified stance

Lovleen Bains

Sahnewal, January 6

With each contender trying to put its best foot forward for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Sahnewal, it seems to be an open and unbridled show of factional strength within the Congress. While Sharanjit Singh Dhillon is the lone candidate for the SAD, this is not the case with the Congress. It is believed that multiple ticket aspirants may fail to provide a ‘coherent’ and ‘unified stance’ to the party in the elections.

Satwinder Kaur Bitti, a singer-turned-politician, is being considered as the potential candidate for the Congress. She was the trailing candidate in the 2017 elections. She had lost with a margin of 4,551 votes from SAD candidate Sharanjit Singh Dhillon. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Navjot Singh Sidhu promised full support to Bitti while speaking at a rally in Sahnewal last week. But she does not seems to enjoy the support of local party leaders as, it is learnt, that most of them kept themselves away from the rally.

Bikramjit Singh Bajwa, the son-in-law of former CLP leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, too lays his claim on the party ticket. He was a candidate in the 2012 elections but could not win the support of local party leaders, who termed him as an outsider. “I am consistently working in the constituency for the past 12 years and am no longer an outsider,” claimed Bajwa.

Another contender Raja Gill is laying claim on the party ticket as he has been camping in the area to garner public support and spread the message among people that he was not an outsider any more. He is the son of Karam Singh Gill, a close associate of former Chief Minister Beant Singh.

The local Congress leaders, however, have shown their resentment for imposing “outsiders” upon them and met Chief Minister Channi over the matter. They were of the view that only a local candidate who has deep-rooted affinities could give a tough defeat to the equally strong and local candidate of the SAD.

Municipal Corporation councillor Pal Singh Grewal, who is said to be close to Deputy Chief Minister Sukjinder Randhawa, also presents himself as a local candidate. Grewal expressed that given a chance, he would definitely win. Grewal is the councillor for the fifth time. He has been the chairman of the Market Committee, Ludhiana, and Chairman, Land Mortgage Bank.

Another local leader and Council president of Sahnewal Sukhjit Singh Hara is a ticket aspirant as he claims to enjoy a political standing having served as the president of the Sahnewal Nagar Council. He express his claim on the party ticket for being in the Congress for long.

Ravneet Gill, who is believed to be a contender for the party ticket, is the grandson of a staunch Akali Dhan Raj Singh Gill and son of Udhe Raj Singh Gill, who shifted his affinities from the SAD to the Congress, eight years ago. Ravneet is at present a zila parishad member. Lucky Sandhu, the Youth Congress president of Ludhiana (rural) is another ticket aspirant. Lucky has emerged into the picture as he carries out party activities zealously.

“Last time, due to the pressure of NRIs, the ticket was given to Bitti. This time, we wish that a local leader with a strong backing and clear image should get the party ticket. If the party high command gives the ticket to Bitti, we would be in no position to support her,’ the local leaders said.

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