M A I N   N E W S

After Manpreet, namesake worries for Bhagwant Mann
Sangrur Independent Bhagwant Singh gets ‘kite’ symbol
Sushil Goyal
Tribune News Service

Sangrur, April 13
Like People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) leader Manpreet Singh Badal, namesake worries are there to haunt Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Bhagwant Mann in the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency. Incidentally, Bhagwant Mann was also in the PPP earlier.

Bhagwant Mann’s namesake, Bhagwant Singh, who is contesting as an Independent candidate from the Sangrur constituency, has got “kite” as his election symbol.

Bhagwant Mann had unsuccessfully contested the February 2012 Assembly elections on “kite” symbol as a PPP candidate from Lehragaga. He had secured 26,136 votes to finish third in that contest.

PPP leader Manpreet Singh Badal is also faced with a similar problem in the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency. His namesake (an Independent) has also got “kite” as his election symbol.

People in the Sangrur constituency feel the presence of Bhagwant Singh in the fray as an Independent on “kite” symbol may affect prospects of Bhagwant Mann. Some voters intending to vote for Bhagwant Mann may end up voting for Bhagwant Singh (by mistake) as “kite” was his election symbol in the 2012 Assembly elections.

Bhagwant Singh, a dairy farmer of Mandvi village (Moonak), told The Tribune on the phone that he entered the poll fray because he was fed up with “false promises” made by political leaders. He said he had given two preferences for election symbol, “kite” and “torch”, and he had been allotted “kite”.

‘Kite’ trouble

• AAP candidate from Sangrur Bhagwant Mann will have to take on his namesake, Bhagwant Singh (pic), who is contesting on a symbol (kite) which was used by Mann as a PPP candidate during the 2012 Assembly elections
• PPP founder Manpreet Singh Badal (contesting on the Congress symbol this time) is also facing a challenge from his namesake in the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency; that too on “kite” symbol