Liquor Flows As Campaign Warms Up

From Our Correspondent

Ferozepore, January 31

With barely eight days left for the polling scheduled to be held on February 9, electioneering in the Ferozepore district is reaching its climax.

Party flags have gone up on shops giving a colourful look to the shopping centres. At some shops flags of various parties are displayed, giving an indication that the voter does not want to annoy anyone, thus keeping every candidate in the dark.

The war of posters, banners and loud-speaker propaganda is now in full swing.

With the death in the jeep accident of Mr Ram Lal, the Jan Sangh nominee from the Lambi (Reserved) Constituency of his district, polling on February 9 will now take place in 14 of the 15 constituencies. Polling for the Lambi (Reserved) Constituency has been postponed and fixed for March 2.

In some constituencies like Dharamkot, Ferozepore, Zira, Baghapurana and Gidderbah, liquor is being used openly and freely and at all these places the sale of country liquor has gone up nearly three times. In view of the ban imposed by the Punjab Government on the sale of liquor from February 7 to February 9 there is a growing tendency in some constituencies to store liquor for use on February 7 and 8.

New phenomenon

In the Dharamkot Constituency where the former Chief Minister, Mr Lachhman Singh Gill, Janta Party nominee, is pitted against Mr Sohan Singh Basi, MP (Akali) and Mr Bhardwaj Sehgal (Congress) a very interesting phenomenon has been noticed. Besides preparing the lists of the voters of this constituency, the lists of important relations of the voters, has also been prepared. More stress is being laid on contacting the powerful relations than the voters so as to put pressure on them through their relations.

Mr Lachhman Singh Gill has once again been able to moblise the voters. Some Congressmen and Akalis are helping him. The efforts of Sant Fateh Singh, it is learnt, have failed to persuade these Akalis not support Mr Gill.

In 1967, Mr Gill had secured 22,634 voters against 15,733 secured by his nearest rival, Mr Rattan Singh (Congress).

With the passage of time the Akali-Jan Sangh alliance is gradually weakening. While the Akali Dal has announced its support to the Jan Sangh candidate, Mr Bal Mukand from the Ferozepore Constituency, in Guruharsahai the Akali Dal has announced its support to Mr Chanan Singh Brar (CPI-Marxist) even though there is also a Jan Sangh nominee, Mr Daulat Ram. This has created bitterness among the Jan Sangh followers.

The swing, therefore, among the Hindu voters is towards the Congress candidates, particularly in the constituencies like Ferozepore and Ferozepore Cantonment where there is an Akali-Jan Sangh alliance.