Jalandhar West Bypoll: Punjab CM’s wife, sister go all out to woo voters in constituency

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, June 28

“The bypoll would not have happened had your candidate been good and honest with the spirit of service. But there was something else in his heart, maybe some compulsion. Our candidate now is from a very honest and decent family. We have not heard one wrong word about him,” says Dr Gurpreet Kaur as she addresses a small meeting at a plush home in Jalandhar.

‘Come whenever you want, our doors will always be open’

If you make our candidate win, all pending works in the constituency will be completed in the coming two and a half years. Our family has shifted here, now we won’t go from here. We have made up our minds and we now just need your support. The CM’s house is just 20 minutes from here, come whenever you want, our doors will always be open. Thank God that we opened our eyes in time — the man who rejected people’s mandate, God will certainly bring him down. Dr Gurpreet Kaur, wife of Punjab CM

While the CM is yet to hold a roadshow in the constituency since he shifted base to Jalandhar, the women of the house are already deep in campaign mode for the Jalandhar West bypoll. The CM’s wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur and sister Manpreet Kaur have been busy traversing the constituency for the past two days, undertaking a whirlwind tour to the homes of workers, industrialists and community leaders, in a hectic reaching out to the electorate and curious women voters, who awaited them with bouquets.

They called on prominent citizens including AAP leader Mukesh Sethi, trader Rakesh Agarwal, Jain Sabha leader and industrialist Rajesh Jain among others in tours across Dilbagh Nagar, JP Nagar etc. MLA Raman Arora also accompanied them. Speaking on her future plans, her team retorts: “It will be like this until July 10.”

While the CM has been handling workers’ meetings, inductions etc every day, his wife has been reaching out to the electorate along with CM’s sister Manpreet Kaur – their speeches motivating workers and targeting BJP candidate Sheetal Angural.

The CM along with wife and daughter Niyamat also visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan today where they stayed for two hours.

Addressing a gathering at an industrialist’s home where women flocked to have a look, Dr Gurpreet Kaur says, “If you make our candidate win, then the pending works in the constituency will be completed in the coming two and a half years. Our family has shifted here, now we won’t go from here. We have made up our minds and we now just need your support. The CM’s house is just 20 minutes from here, come whenever you want, our doors will always be open. Thank God that we opened our eyes in time — the man who rejected people’s mandate, God will certainly bring him down.”

Speaking to The Tribune during the campaign, Kaur said: “We are getting a lot of love from the people of Jalandhar West. They are extending a warm welcome to us. It doesn’t feel we have come here for the first time.”

On how it feels after shifting to Jalandhar, she said: “Jalandhar is a nice city. I really liked this place and don’t feel like going back. I tell people that we have shifted to Jalandhar permanently. Our family will stay here 2-3 days in a week.”

Speaking about BJP leaders Sushil Rinku and Sheetal Angural who earned AAP ire by turns in previous LS elections and now in bypoll, Kaur says: “It’s their misfortune. They got chance to serve people but left it for vested interests. They will face voters’ ire.”

Encouraging workers, Kaur said: “I ask workers to remain positive and fight with firm resolve. The AAP will win the Jalandhar West bypoll”.