Big Fight Patiala Urban: Ex-Mayors make it tough for Capt Amarinder Singh
Aman Sood
Patiala, February 19
It is going to be an uphill battle for former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh as he faces a stiff challenge from two former Mayors fielded by the AAP and Congress and a former councillor of the SAD.
All three opponents are making a debut in the Vidhan Sabha, which makes this contest close. “Jat, Hindu and urban Sikh votes are divided and so are loyalties and party affiliations. I have never seen Patiala polls getting so close in my past three decades,” said a political analyst.
The former CM, who quit the Congress and formed the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC), won the seat in 2017 on a Congress ticket with more than 52,000 votes, defeating AAP’s Dr Balbir Singh. However, with winds of change, the New Moti Bagh Palace, his official residence, is not thronged by supporters in thousands nor is his popularity the same as it was in 2017.
The Congress has fielded prominent Hindu face Vishnu Sharma, also a former Mayor. Sharma was Mayor when Amarinder was the CM from 2002-07, but later joined the Akali Dal. When Amarinder left the Congress, he rejoined the ruling party last month.
Another challenge comes from AAP candidate Ajitpal Singh Kohli, a former Akali Dal Mayor. Ajitpal’s father Surjit Singh Kohli and grandfather Sardara Singh Kohli remained MLAs from Patiala and ministers in Akali governments. Kohli is banking on anti-incumbency against the sitting MLA.
The SAD has fielded former councillor Harpal Juneja, a lawyer who has been actively involved in local politics for over a decade. His father Bhagwan Dass Juneja contested unsuccessfully against Amarinder’s wife Preneet Kaur in the 2015 byelection from Patiala Urban. “It is an open contest. None of the candidates can be sure of a victory, though Capt Amarinder still has the edge, given his political stature,” say voters. “The fact that Capt Amarinder is now banking on PM Modi and propagating the central funds for betterment of Punjab, shows no one is confident,” they add.
