After Gidderbaha bypoll setback, Manpreet ‘eyes’ Bathinda Urban seat

After losing the Gidderbaha bypoll in 2024, senior BJP leader and former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal has again stepped up his political activities in the Bathinda Urban Assembly segment.

Notably, he had won from this seat in the 2017 Assembly poll but lost in 2022. For the past month, Manpreet has been frequently visiting Bathinda, meeting his supporters and holding small gatherings.

A BJP functionary indicated that Manpreet plans to open his office in Bathinda after Diwali.

Politicians believe that Manpreet would attempt to make a comeback from the Bathinda seat because the BJP had managed a lead from only this Assembly segment out of nine in the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency during the 2024 General Election.

Party candidate Parampal Kaur Sidhu had secured 36,287 votes here but finished overall fourth.

As Bathinda is considered a Hindu dominated seat, the party’s Bathinda Urban president Sarup Chand Singla is also eyeing to contest. Singla, a former SAD leader, has contested four Assembly elections from this seat in the past, winning only once in 2012, and served as a Chief Parliamentary Secretary during the SAD-BJP regime.

Both Manpreet and Singla are at loggerheads. Singla had even complained to the Vigilance Bureau in 2021 against Manpreet, alleging irregularities in a property purchase, following which a case was registered.

Singla said, “Manpreet is holding his meetings in Bathinda, but these are not BJP meetings. Our party holds meetings through its district president. I can’t say why he is holding these meetings here. We have not yet discussed how to strengthen party activities in this area.”

Despite repeated attempts to contact Manpreet, he was unavailable for comment. One of his close aides said, “Not just Bathinda, Manpreet is active in Gidderbaha areas as well.”