Bathinda thermal plant employees ‘punish’ SAD, Congress over closure

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Bathinda, March 12

The impact of the shutting down of the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) is quite evident on the election results of the Bathinda Urban segment. In stark contrast to 216 votes polled by AAP candidate Jagroop Singh Gill at polling station No. 13 in Thermal Colony, former Finance Minister Manpreet Badal could garner only 16 votes, while SAD’s Sarup Chand Singla polled 18 votes.

One planned, other implemented

When the Akalis were in power, they mooted the plan to shut down the GNDTP, while Manpreet Badal got it executed during the Congress regime. Gursewak Singh, President, GNDTP employees’ federation

In the four polling stations (Nos. 13, 14 and 15, and at a special school) in the colony, Gill secured 561 votes, while Badal and Singla could manage only 60 and 63 votes, respectively, suggesting thermal employees clearly rejected the traditional parties and voted one-sided for the AAP.

In the 2017 polls, Badal had promised the city residents of restarting the thermal plant once the Congress came to power, but his government did quite the opposite, even dismantling its units, causing resentment amongst employees and people.

Gursewak Singh, president, Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant Employees’ Federation, said: “When the Akalis were in power, they mooted the plan to shut down the GNDTP, while Badal got it executed and shut the plant during the Congress regime, due to which majority vote went to the AAP.”