12 years on, Manpreet may again test political waters in Gidderbaha
After a gap of almost 12 years, senior BJP leader and former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal is again active in Gidderbaha – the constituency which he had represented in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha for 17 years in a row. He is now set to contest the November 13 Assembly bypoll, as the saffron party has no other leader of his stature in the constituency.
The 62-year-old leader is presently trying to cash in on the name of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He has even posted two old videos of himself with senior Badal on social media platforms. Notably, the senior Badal had represented this Assembly constituency for record five times 1969, 1972, 1977, 1980 and 1985, before handing it over to Manpreet during the 1995 bypoll. The bypoll was held after the then MLA Raghubir Singh Pardhan was convicted by a court.
Till a few days ago, Manpreet was holding secret public meetings. Now, he is openly touring the constituency and has even activated his camp office on the Malout-Bathinda road in Gidderbaha. Prominent persons seen with him are two former SAD leaders from Gidderbaha – SGPC member Navtej Singh Kaoni and Harjit Singh Neela Mann. Besides, his close aide Sarfaraz Gill also accompanies him.
About his candidature, Manpreet said, “The BJP’s parliamentary board will decide on the name of the candidate for the Gidderbaha Assembly seat. However, I am active on the ground for the past two months now.” He termed Gidderbaha as his ‘karam bhoomi’ and said, “However, I was destined to leave it.”
In his nearly 30-year-old political career, Manpreet has lost three Assembly elections and one Lok Sabha election. He tasted first electoral defeat in 2012 when first-timer Congress candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring won against him from this constituency. Then, he had formed the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) and contested from Gidderbaha and Maur segments. He lost to Warring in Gidderbaha and SAD’s Janmeja Singh Sekhon in Maur. Later, he shifted base to Bathinda.
He unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election as a Congress nominee from Bathinda against SAD’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal in 2014. Thereafter, he contested the Assembly poll as a Congress nominee from Bathinda in 2017 and was elected. He became the Finance Minister for the second time and remained on the post in both Capt Amarinder Singh and Charanjit Singh Channi-led governments. He has presented the state budget for a record nine times.
Manpreet became politically inactive for some time after he lost his security deposit during the 2022 Assembly elections. He had contested the Bathinda seat on Congress ticket. Thereafter, Manpreet developed some health issues and after recuperating, he has now become active in Gidderbaha.
After he was expelled from the SAD in 2010, Manpreet had founded a political outfit, PPP, in 2011, which he merged with the Congress in 2016. However, he joined the BJP in January last year. He is presently facing a vigilance probe for a plot allotment in Bathinda.
