Grand old man may call it quits

Muktsar: After his second Assembly poll debacle in the seven-decade political career, there are talks in political circles that 94-year-old former CM Parkash Singh Badal may now hang up his boots. His official word is however yet to come as he has gone “incommunicado”. Sources say the grand old man of state politics may make an announcement that he will not contest the election anymore, but keep serving the party and state to the best of his abilities. Notably, Badal was unwilling to contest the elections this time. He was even hospitalised during the electioneering. Notably, Badal had earlier lost the Assembly election against Harcharan Singh Brar of the Congress from Gidderbaha in 1967.

SAD leaders get act together

Muktsar: After the SAD’s worst-ever defeat in the state, party leaders have restarted their work on the ground by touring their constituencies and holding meetings with public at their residences. For instance, SAD candidate from Muktsar Kanwarjit Singh Rozy Barkandi, who tasted poll debacle for a second time, has been holding public meetings at his residence. Similarly, SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, who also lost the election from Jalalabad, has started meeting public at his Badal village residence.

Turncoats look for ‘ghar wapsi’

Sangrur: Many turncoats, who left the AAP before the Assembly elections, are in a quandary after the formation of the AAP government in Punjab. Now, many have been trying to get in touch with their old friends in the party for “ghar wapsi”. Many have opened a direct dialogue with AAP leaders while others have been finding suitable leaders of their area to set the process rolling for rejoining the party. 

Malout’s love for outsiders

Muktsar: Malout seems to be the lone constituency in the state to have voted in an outsider as an MLA. The constituency has so far sent 14 representatives to the Assembly, some of whom got elected twice or thrice, but all registered as voters in other constituencies. Before the reorganisation of the state, Parkash Singh Badal too had won from the seat in 1957. This was his first Assembly election, which he contested on the Congress ticket. This time, Dr Baljit Kaur of the AAP has won. No prizes for guessing, she is a voter from the Faridkot constituency.

Congress man with a broom

Abohar: Sandeep Jakhar, who was elected to the Vidhan Sabha on Thursday from Abohar, continues to follow his passion — keeping his town clean. He led hundreds of volunteers in cleaning the Nehru Park on Saturday. He is the lone Congress winner in the nine Assembly segments of Ferozepur, despite the AAP wave. Broom was AAP’s election symbol but PCC ex-president Sunil Jakhar’s nephew has been using it to clean roads, parks and schools of Abohar for the past two years. Minor girls prepared a cake to celebrate his win at a camp. The show must go on till each corner in the town is swept clean, said Sandeep. He also lauded CM-elect Bhagwant Mann’s advice to all MLAs to work in their respective areas instead of staying in Chandigarh.

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