AAP lacks face for Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat

Tribune News Service

Manmeet Singh Gill/Gurbaxpuri

Khadoor Sahib, March 10

In the Lok Sabha constituency scattered over all three geographical regions of Majha, Malwa and Doaba in Punjab, fielding suitable candidates will definitely a tough task for all the political parties.

Though in the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections, Aam Aadmi Party candidates had won seven segments, it still does not have a prominent face in the area that could be considered as a front-runner in the race for party ticket. The political buzz says that Baltej Pannu, the media advisor to the Chief Minister, could be the party candidate.

Prominent names among other AAP aspirants include Gursevak Singh Aulakh, (director, Punjab State Industries Development Corporation), Sakattar Singh, (president NRI wing), Gurdev Singh Sandhu, (vice-chairman, Punjab State Forests Development Corporation), and Komalpreet Singh, a district unit leader.

Congress leader Jasbir Singh Gill Dimpa, who was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2019, is already talking among the voters that he will get the party ticket. Of the nine Assembly segments, Congress had won only one — Kapurthala — from where Rana Gurjit Singh was elected MLA. His son, Rana Inder Partap Singh had won as an independent candidate from Sultanpur Lodhi. A section of local Congress leaders stated that with Rana Gurjit having sway in both the seats, he might be a better choice for the party ticket.

Predominantly considered a ‘panthic’ seat, the SAD too has a tough choice to make here. The local party leaders feel that party was definitely interested in fielding Bikram Singh Majithia, however, given the ground situation, Majithia will not risk another defeat.

Two-time MLA and firebrand party spokesperson Virsa Singh Valtoha is surely a front-runner. Apart from taking the state government heads on, Valtoha resonates with the panthic and rural voters.

Alwinderpal Singh Pakhoke, who is SGPC member since 1996 and has served as SGPC general secretary thrice and even as SGPC president for nine months, could also be rewarded for his loyalty towards Badal family.

The BJP too has a tough choice to make in this predominantly rural constituency which has only 229 urban polling stations and 1,560 rural polling stations. Though the party has not gained much strength in the constituency, it could field Anoop Singh Bhullar, son of former Congress minister Gurchet Singh Bhullar. Anoop felt suffocated in Congress after the party chose his brother Sukhpal Singh Bhullar over him for Vidhan Sabha ticket. Anoop had later joined BJP. BJP leader Harjit Singh Sandhu, who was recently appointed president of district BJP unit, too is an aspirant for the ticket.

Considered a panthic seat

• A section of local Congress leaders stated that as Rana Gurjit having sway in his own Assembly seat Kapurthala, and his son’s seat Sultanpur Lodhi, he might be a better choice for the party ticket than Jasbir Singh Gill Dimpa, who is the sitting MP
• Predominantly considered a ‘panthic’ seat, the SAD has a tough choice to make here. Two-time MLA and firebrand party spokesperson Virsa Singh Valtoha is a front-runner. Alwinderpal Singh Pakhoke, who is SGPC member since 1996, could also be rewarded for his loyalty towards Badal family
• Though BJP has not gained much strength in the constituency, it could field Anoop Singh Bhullar, son of former Congress minister Gurchet Singh Bhullar. Anoop left Congress after the party chose his brother Sukhpal Singh Bhullar over him for Assembly ticket. Harjit Singh Sandhu, president of district BJP unit, is also an aspirant for the ticket
• Although AAP has not gained much ground here, aspirants include Baltej Pannu, (media advisor to CM), Gursevak Singh Aulakh, (director, Punjab State Industries Development Corporation), Sakattar Singh, (president NRI wing), Gurdev Singh Sandhu, (vice-chairman, Punjab State Forests Development Corporation), and Komalpreet Singh, (district unit leader)

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