Capt Amarinder Singh appealing voters during his road show in Dakiha constituency on Thursday
By Raju William
Dakha, October 18, 2019: As a senior Punjab Congress office bearer observed the second 71 kilometres long road show by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh in Dakha Assembly constituency on Thursday, three days before the polling day, has tilted the scales in favour of the party candidate.
The observation of this senior party leader has once again reiterated that Capt Amarinder Singh is the tallest Congress leader in the state on who hinges all hopes of the party rank and file whenever chips are down. And rightly so because originally only one road show of Capt Amarinder was planned in this constituency where Congress has never won since 2002 Assembly elections.
That the situation was not perceived as favourable is evident from the fact that the decision to organize the second road show by him was taken at the culmination of his first 65 kilometres long road show organized on October 15. The two road shows within three days betray the ground reality preceding the arrival of the Congress titan on the scene, the party insiders involved in the campaigning would tell you.
The success of this show of strength led from the front by Capt Amarinder Singh only goes to show the ineffectiveness of the local Congress leaders entrusted with sailing the party ship. It is needless to say that when the situation seemed to be drifting, it was left to none else than Capt Amarinder Singh to take reigns in his hands to strategise the campaigning at its the fag end. The perceived upturn in the Congress fortunes in the wake of Capt Amarinder’s personal appearances crisscrossing the entire constituency shows his indispensability as the most impactful Congress leader in the state.
True to his credentials as a leader who reads the mind of Punjab, Capt Amarinder Singh, during his road shows, focused on the panthic and farmers’ issues connecting with the electorate of this predominantly rural constituency. Besides his party and government’s massive plans on 550th Prakash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev and related facilities for the pilgrims to Kartarpur Sahib, he also flayed Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Badal for being a threat to Punjab’s water rights by siding with Chautalas’s party in coming Haryana Assembly elections.
A visibly upbeat in the wake of road shows, Congress election incharge and Cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu hailing from nearby Ludhiana says, “Capt Amarinder Singh is the match winner for us.” Echoing his view, Punjab Congress general secretary Amarjit Singh Tikka says, “The road shows came at the right time and have endorsed the fact that the rivals cannot match the popularity of Capt Amarinder Singh.”
Since beginning of the campaign, the party candidate Capt Sandeep Sandhu, hailing from Faridkot, has been working overtime trying to convince the voters that he is not an outsider. Much of the thrust of the opposition onslaught against him personally is on this count. His main rival Manpreet Singh Ayali of SAD, who lives in Dakha, had won from this constituency in 2012 Assembly election. He has also been chairman of Zila Parishad.
That the none of the local Congress leaders were considered fit to be nominated as the party candidate explains why Capt Sandeep Sandhu, political secretary to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh was brought in. Since Sandhu is being seen as his personal choice, it goes without saying that Capt Amarinder Singh would not let Dakha by-election outcome to become an exception even as it is considered that the ruling party candidates generally win the by-elections..
It is for this reason that he has taken upon himself the onus to steer the Congress ship. Lending a personal touch, Capt Amarinder Singh called upon the voters that Sandhu is the right candidate and sent out a loud and clear message of his long and close association with him. “Since Sandhu has already been working closely with the CM in his government, the voters for all practical purposes are likely to prefer voting for the Congress,” remarked Kuldip Singh, retired government school headmaster of village Baddowal in the constituency.