Bholath: Healthcare facilities ailing
Aparna Banerji
A traditonal Akali stronghold, the segment has been a witness to some epic electoral battles.
However, locals are not happy. “Bholath is always in news right before the elections, but it is no one’s priority. Don’t ask us about development, it’s a very touchy subject for us,” comes the often repeated quip from many residents when asked about growth in their constituency in the past few years. Currently, bad roads and shoddy patchwork are among the grouses that residents in the constituency have. Healthcare and lack of staff in schools are next on the list of complaints.
Past trend
Of the nine elections that Bholath has seen so far, six have been won by the Akali Dal, two by the Congress and one (2017) by the AAP. It is the stronghold of Akali Dal matriarch Bibi Jagir Kaur. The Akali Dal won the seat in 1977, 1980, 1985, 1997, 2002 and 2012.
Electorate strength
Total voters – 1,34,405
Male – 68,276
Female – 66,126
Third gender – 3
Locals’ key demands
- Better roads
- End to corruption
- Upgrade of healthcare
- Hiring of school staff
Resident Tejinder Singh says, “We don’t know what to say. No one asked about our well-being for the past few years. Bholath has been largely ignored. Streets are broken in every locality. There is also a lot of corruption in the tehsil.”
Begowal resident Amanpreet Singh says, “The people of this constituency have always been tricked. If we go to the local government medical care facility, we are asked to go to Jalandhar.”
