Jalalabad, February 1, 2017: Jalalabad – a constituency on Indo-Pak border belt represented by Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister. All these three candidates are educated, outsiders and represent dynastic political background – Sukhbir MBA, Bittu BCA and Mann B.Com and the fight in the hot constituency during the elections is on two fronts - political and intellectual. Each one is using his skill to allure the voters in its own way.
All the three major political parties - SAD-BJP alliance, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) - have fielded their candidates after due consideration.
While Sukhbir Singh Badal is a repeater for 2017 Assembly elections, the other two are Ravneet Singh Bittu, MP from Ludhiana, of Congress – grandson of late Beant Singh Chief Minister Punjab and Bhagwant Singh Mann, MP from Sangrur – a comedian-turned-politicians.
While SAD-BJP is fighting on development agenda, Congress in the name of Beant Singh who sacrificed his life during terrorism, AAP as new entrant in Punjab.
Sukhbir having 27 years experience in politics and Bittu got entry into politics in heritage 13 years back, as a birthright while Mann started his career from Peoples Party of Punjab represented by Manpreet Singh Badal who later on joined Congress and Mann joined the Kejriwal’s AAP.
SAD-BJP is seeking votes on the development agenda is claiming to have spent Rs.800 crore on development in the area. The Congress and AAP are concentrating on ruining the Punjab with drugs and giving statements to eradicate this social menace within four weeks and putting behind the bars directly or indirectly involved with drug trade in the state.
Both Congress and AAP have challenged Sukhbir Badal to contest the Assembly elections against him.
In fact, the last election for Sukhbir Badal was an easy task as the seat was vacated by Sher Singh Ghubaya now MP for him. Unfortunately, Ghubaya’s family joined hands with Congress and fielded his son Varinder Ghubaya as Congress candidate from Fazilka. But with the viral of Sher Singh Ghubhaya – to which he reported to be the cheap tactics and handiwork of rival political parties – the political scenario has totally changed among the Rai Sikh community vote bank of Ghubaya. This move of viral of video on social media might have adverse impact on the SAD-BJP candidate Sukhbir Badal and gain for Congress and AAP.
But with certain important local issues like non-availability of coaches in the stadium, non-taking of final decision with regard to jurisdiction of 44 villages at the time of bifurcation of Fazilka district from Ferozepur and putting of slabs on canal which have not been The residents of the constituency have forgotten the two major projects given to the city – Govt. Girls College and Hospital and raising the pending issues.
On visit to Jalalabad, the city did not give a look of hot seat of the state, everything was going normal and close- and late hours meetings were reported to be held to pursue to voters.
In 2012, Ashok Aneja former President Municipal Council had joined the SAD and congress candidate Malkit Singh Hira has lost. Another reason behind this was that the ticket was given to Rai community ignoring Hans Raj Jossan and even then lost the seat.
The late announcement of candidate by the Congress High Command and ignoring of other aspirants for the ticket from this constituency, Hans Raj Jossan submitted the incomplete nomination forms as Congress candidate just to show his resentment.
CPI and APP have also fielded their candidates as symbolic candidates and will not be in triangular fray.
Sources said, one Naresh Sehgal from Kot Kapura has made a complaint to the Election Commission to the extent that Sukhbir Badal has not disclosed the real facts in Form No.26 and has not attached the bail papers at the time of filing of nomination papers which he submitted during the last 2012 elections.
Even he has alleged for misusing the office of SDM and incase the Election Commission take notice of these issues, the ban for contesting elections for years can even be put on Sukhbir Badal.
In fact, in this border-belt - the vote bank in total voters of 1,93,906, is of Rai Sikh community which decides the future of the candidate and it looks that Sher Singh Ghubaya despite being SAD MP is supporting the Congress is likely to get a chance to win from Jalalabad among the three intellectuals in fray. It will definitely be a political litmus test for these three educated candidates.