Jakhar evolves 2-pronged plan to battle it out

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, May 15

Congress candidate for Gurdaspur Sunil Jakhar has evolved a two-pronged strategy to take on BJP rival Sunny Deol after his campaign managers dug up vital data that shows it was the the Jat Sikh votes that helped Partap Singh Bajwa to defeat three-time MP Vinod Khanna in the 2014.

Aware that Deol is a Jat Sikh too, Jakhar has asked all seven Congress MLAs in the constituency to focus on the Kartarpur corridor to garner the support of the 3.5 lakh-strong Jat Sikh voters as well as Mukteshwar caves to win over the Rajputs, who number 1.10 lakh. The caves face the threat of being submerged once  the Shahpur Kandi dam lake is constructed. Jakhar has written to Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari in this regard.

To the Christians, whose number is 2.5 lakh, he is promising reservation in government jobs in Punjab. The PPCC chief has asked his legislators to seek votes on the developmental works he has initiated since 2017.

“I brought the Pepsi bottling plant and the Rs 2,300 crore Shahpur Kandi dam project in Pathankot, a degree college in Kalanaur and two medical colleges. I have taken up the issue of setting up a rail wheel factory, on the pattern of the one established in Bangalore, on panchayat land in Kalanaur. Once this is done, 70% jobs will be reserved for locals. More funds will be given to Batala because the MC has been upgraded to a corporation,” he says.