Congress counts on 'Majha brigade'

Tribune News Service

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, March 3

Having won 22 of the 25 seats in the Majha region during the 2017 Assembly elections, the Congress is pinning hopes on its ‘Majha brigade’ in Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts to return to power.

Wary of reports of the SAD likely to make gains in the region, the Congress leadership is reassessing the seat-to-seat poll percentage in the two districts to draw an idea about the number of seats likely to go into its kitty.

Victories of senior Majha brigade leaders Sukhjinder Randhawa, Tript Rajinder Bajwa and Sukhbinder Sarkaria, besides Gurdaspur MLA Barindermeet Singh Pahra will increase the party’s prospects of forming the government again.

Also, the result of PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu’s Amritsar East is crucial to the party’s equation. The results of the Majha leaders would set the pitch for party’s Jat face after polls. Irrespective of whether it repeats the government or not, Sidhu ‘remains’ the bone of contention for other Jat leaders of Majha.

“Resurgence of Akalis in Majha means the Congress will have to perform better in Doaba and Malwa. In 2017, the party won 15 of 23 seats in Doaba and 40 of 69 seats in Malwa. It is also banking on CM Charanjit Channi to perform better in the Doaba region,” said a senior leader.

A Doaba leader said polling stations having a high percentage of SC votes showed higher poll percentage. “This could mean vote for Channi or vote for change,” he opined.

In Malwa, the narrative built around actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu’s death, undercurrent for change and the dera factor were adding to the confusion for the party.

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