Badal-Maluka bahus in credit war over AIIMS in Bathinda

Tribune News Service

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Bathinda, April 19

A credit war has begun between Badal bahu Harsimrat Badal, who is the third-time MP from Bathinda, and Maluka bahu Parampal Kaur Sidhu, who is the BJP candidate from the Lok Sabha seat, over the AIIMS in Bathinda.

Claims and counter-claims over Bathinda facility

The constituency has seen a sea-change since she has become the MP from Bathinda for the first time in 2009, be it the network of roads, AIIMS or central university, my political rivals has nothing to show up. Harsimrat Badal, MP

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It’s not Harsimrat, it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has given many big projects under the Central schemes and AIIMS is one of these. Parampal Kaur Sidhu, BJP Nominee

SAD had installed hoardings and posters with Harsimrat’s photo taking credit for the establishment of AIIMS as the major achievement of the Akalis, which is providing affordable healthcare to southwest Punjab and the adjoining districts of Haryana and Rajasthan.

While addressing public meetings, Harsimrat is taking credit, stating that it was she and Parkash Singh Badal who brought the big project here and changed the city.

She says, “The constituency has seen a sea-change since she has become an MP from Bathinda for the first time in 2009, be it the network of roads, AIIMS or central university, my political rivals has nothing to show.”

Talking to The Tribune, Parampal Kaur Sidhu said, “It’s not Harsimrat, it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has given many big projects under the Central schemes”. She added, “Harsimrat has not brought AIIMS here. The Union Government has built 22 AIIMS in the country, almost all major states has AIIMS now.”

Parampal also claimed that AIIMS-Bathinda had been built with the Centre’s funds and the recruitment also been done by the Union ministry. It had nothing to do with the Punjab Government. She also said apart from AIIMS, the Union government had also given Central University Punjab and an airport in Bathinda.

Harsimrat has won three elections from Bathinda in 2009, 2014 and 2019. Formally, the party is yet to announce a candidate from Bathinda, but most likely, Harsimrat will contest from here.

Parampal is contesting for the first time, although the Maluka family has been active in politics here for last three decades. Parampal has quit her job to enter politics.

For the first time, the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat is witnessing a multi-corner contest with AAP fielding Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian and Congress betting on ex-MLA Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu.

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