Muktsar contestants slug it out

Archit Watts

Muktsar, February 19

In the Badals’ home district Muktsar, no senior politician of the ruling Congress campaigned for the party nominees. The district has four constituencies — Lambi, Gidderbaha, Muktsar and Malout. CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and MP Deepinder Hooda came once to campaign for Transport Minister Amrinder Singh Raja Warring in Gidderbaha.

There is a close contest on all four seats in the district. The Congress has fielded former CM Harcharan Brar’s daughter-in-law Karan Kaur from Muktsar; late minister Gurnam Singh Abulkhurana’s foster son Jagpal Singh Abulkhurana from Lambi; Bathinda Rural MLA Rupinder Kaur Ruby from Malout. For these candidates, just Raja Warring has campaigned as a star campaigner.

Similarly, the BJP, too, mainly focused on just one seat — Muktsar, where Rajesh Pathela Gora is in the electoral fray. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Ministers Ganjendra Singh and Kailash Chaudhary campaigned in the constituency, which is the home turf of former CM Harcharan Singh Brar’s family.

In AAP, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal addressed a rally in favour of party nominee Gurmeet Singh Khudian in Lambi. In Malout, Bhagwant Mann took out a road show in favour of party candidate Baljit Kaur and Mann’s mother Harpal Kaur also campaigned. In Gidderbaha, Mann canvassed for party nominee Pritpal Sharma.

However, the SAD put all its might in Lambi, where former CM Parkash Singh Badal is in the fray. Here Badal himself, his son Sukhbir and daughter-in-law Harsimrat, their son Aantveer, INLD supremo Om Parkash Chautala campaigned. In Malout, Badal, Sukhbir and Harsimrat campaigned for party candidate Harpreet Singh.

In Gidderbaha and Muktsar, both Sukhbir and Harsimrat campaigned in favour of party nominees Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon and Kanwarjit Singh Rozy Barkandi, respectively.