Fatehgarh Sahib, April 06, 2019: As soon as the name of Dr. Amar Singh (Retd) IAS officer for the Fatehgarh Sahib(R) Parliamentary constituency was announced by Congress high command, the Congress workers and leaders led by Subhash Sood, President DCC and Gurpreet Singh GP MLA, who was also contender for the seat celebrated the announcement. A keen contest is on the cards between the two retired IAS Officers and both worked with Chief Ministers and both remained Director Public Relations (DPR) in their respective States. Dr. Amar Singh, 1981 batch officer who retired as principal secretary to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh will face Darbara Singh Guru, 1980 batch IAS, who retired as principal secretary to CM Parkash Singh Badal SAD(B) BJP candidate.Interestingly both have lost the recently held assembly elections Dr. Amar Singh as Congress candidate from Raikot and DS Guru as SAD(B) candidate from Bassi Pathana. The people will keenly watch the contest to see whom the luck favours as their fate will be decided by the voters again.
Besides both the bureaucrats Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) has fielded Engineer Manvinder Singh Giaspura and AAP has given the ticket to Baljinder Singh Chonda a party worker.
Fatehgarh Sahib (R) Parliamentary constituency may be the only constituency, where the highly qualified candidates will contest. The constituency is spread over 9 Assembly constituencies Fatehgarh Sahib, Bassi Pathana, Amloh of Fatehgarh Sahib district, Khanna, Sahnewal, Samrala, Payal and Raikot of Ludhiana district and Amargarh of Sangrur district. There are 14,74,947 voters out of this 785807 male, 689104 female, 36 3rd gender, 4939 service voters, and 5334 physically handicapped voters. Among the reserve category voters Ramdasia Community has 80% voters, whereas Balmikis are 20%, so both the main parties preferred Ramdasia candidates.
It was earlier part of Ropar constituency, since its carnation it has not been granted for any political party to register win. In 2009 Sukhdev Singh Libra, who deserted from SAD(B) to Congress won on the Congress ticket by defeating Charanjit Singh Atwal, in 2014 people voted for AAP candidate Harinder Singh Khalsa by defeating Sadhu Singh Dharmsot of Congress and renowned realtor Kulwant Singh of Janta Land promoter Mohali. Fatehgarh Sahib is likely to witness keen contest no party can afford to take the contest lightly.
While talking to The Tribune Dr. Amar Singh thanked the high command for reposing faith in him. He said that he had been working hard in Raikot since he lost the Assembly election. Asked about the Congress’s chances of a return to power after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP-RSS dominance of national and many state governments, he said the outlook is good as there is a lot of backlash against the current government and he is hopeful that Congress will return to power. He admits that politics is difficult but he credits the Punjab Congress party and his close relations with the Punjab CM Capt. Amarinder Singh in helping him transition to his new role smoothly and with all the work he is doing in his constituency of Raikot. He hopes to make success in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Currently he is incharge and working making Raikot an ideal constituency.
About DR. Amar Singh
Dr. Amar Singh is a Doctor and retired IAS officer, presently Vice President cum Spokesperson of Punjab Congress and Member AICC. Senator Punjab University born in a family of landless Dalit agricultural labourers at Boparai Kalan Village of Ludhiana District completed his MBBS from Amritsar medical college. He was selected for Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) and worked as doctor in Samrala and Civil Surgeon office at Ludhiana.During his 32 years of service as an IAS officer, he served as a DC of 4 districts, Secretary to Chief Minister Madhya Pardesh for 10 years. He played instrumental role in formulation of NREGA and National Rural Livelihood Mission during a long stint with Ministry of Rural Development. He was also instrumental in formulation of National Food Security Act and inclusion of provision for 2 Kg rice as Chairman and MD of Food Corporation of India (FCI). He was instrumental to oversaw an investment of Rs 1500+ crores in Punjab to create new food storage facilities.
About DS Guru SAD(B) BJP candidate
DS Guru was born at village Khudi Khurd in district Barnala in 1952 and he did his primary education from village school. He graduated from Govt. college of Science Education & Research Jagraon and post graduated in MSc Physic from Punjabi University Patiala. He joined premier Service IAS in 1980 and retired in 2011. He worked on various important posts like SDM, Deputy Commissioner Bhatinda, Director Public Relation, Secretary Public Relation, Principal Secretary Health, Director Industries and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from 2007 to 2011.Guru said that after retirement from service on the advice of Parkash Singh Badal he joined SAD(B) and contested his first election from Bhadaur Assembly constituency unsuccessfully. In 2017 Assembly elections, he was allotted SAD(B) ticket from Bassi Pathana ® constituency and he lost to Gurpreet Singh GP of Congress. Now he has been chosen as SAD(B) candidate for Fatehgarh Sahib ® Parliamentary constituency