Better healthcare, education top priority: Ranjit Singh Dhillon

Ranjit Singh Dhillon, 58, who has been fielded by SAD from Ludhiana, says with two of his three main rivals being turncoats and another being an outsider, SAD has a better chance of winning from this otherwise Sikh-dominated urban parliamentary constituency. In an exclusive interview with Nitin Jain, the former MLA, who had won his maiden Assembly election in 2012 from Ludhiana East before losing the next two consecutive polls in 2017 and 2022, when he polled the party’s lowest-ever vote share, says it was the party’s decision to field him. The excerpts:

People have lost faith in the ruling Aam Aadmi Party due to the poor law and order situation in the state. The development undertaken during our previous regimes will fetch us votes this time.

Had you applied for the ticket by choice or compulsion?

It was the party’s decision.

How do you find contesting this election without BJP’s support from this urban seat?

The BJP has lost ground in the rural belt, while SAD on the other hand is in the revival stage. Even in the urban areas, we will emerge stronger this time.

With SAD winning only three seats in Punjab Assembly elections in 2022, how do you find contesting this election?

In 2024, the scenario was totally different. Now, the people have lost faith in the ruling AAP due to the poor law and order situation. The development undertaken during our previous regimes will fetch us votes this time.

What are your poll promises and priorities in this election?

We are promising better health, education facilities, clean environment, overall development and communal peace in the state.

How do you plan to counter three-time MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and AAP’s local MLA Ashok Parashar Pappi?

Bittu and Pappi are turncoats as both have left the Congress, while Warring is an outsider. They will cut into each other’s vote bank while the SAD’s vote bank will emerge stronger this time.

With SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal no more, do you feel his absence in the election field?

Yes, his absence will always be felt, but our party president Sukhbir Badal is doing very hard work while following the footsteps of the senior Badal.

With the AAP, Congress and SAD’s old ally BJP contesting on all seats, how many seats do you think SAD can win?

We are very much hopeful of winning around 8-9 seats this time.