5-cornered contest for Sangrur Lok Sabha byelection

Parvesh Sharma

Sangrur, June 6

With two former MLAs, a former MP, a sarpanch and a foster sister of death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana jumping into the poll arena, the high-stake Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll seems to be a multi-cornered contest.

Candidates of the Congress, SAD and the BJP filed their nominations today while AAP and SAD (Amritsar) had already entered the field.

All parties want to grab the seat to improve their image. Dhuri former Congress MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy Khangura has got ticket. He is a former student leader and before becoming an MLA in 2017 on the Congress ticket, he also ran an NGO. On Monday, he, along with Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, former ministers Sukhjinder Randhawa, Bharat Bhushan Aashu and Vijay Inder Singla, filed his nomination.

“Within two months of its formation, the AAP government has lost trust of Punjab residents. The BJP did not have any candidate and it imported Kewal Dhillon while SAD also admitted their defeat by fielding Kamaldeep Kaur,” said Warring.

Turncoat and two-time former MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon is a surprise pick of the BJP for the seat as earlier, the names of former MLA Arvind Khanna and a Punjab film star were doing the rounds. Dhillon is an industrialists and had also contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from the Congress unsuccessfully.

Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma, central minister Som Parkash, Sunil Jakhar and SAD (Sanyukt) leader Parminder Singh Dhindsa accompanied Dhillon. “Law and order have collapsed in Punjab and residents are looking at the BJP as their sole hope,” said Sharma.

SAD president Sukhbir Badal, along with other senior leaders, accompanied party candidate Kamaldeep Kaur Rajoana to the DC office to file her nomination. “SAD has teamed up with Panthic organisations as per the ‘sandesh’ of Sri Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh. The victory of Rajoana will lead to the release of all Sikh prisoners,” said Badal.

AAP candidate Gurmail Singh is a close confidant of the CM. During the previous Congress government, he remained at the loggerheads with then Sangrur MLA and minister Vijay Inder Singla. Singla wanted to use the village common land for the construction of Government Medical College, but Sarpanch Gurmail opposed him and faced harassment. From SAD (Amritsar), party president Simranjit Singh Mann is the two-time MP and is contesting again.

In the ring

AAP Sarpanch Gurmail Singh

Congress Ex-Dhuri MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy Khangura

BJP Two-time former legislator Kewal Singh Dhillon

SAD Kamaldeep Kaur Rajoana

SAD (Amritsar) Simranjit Mann

Rajoana’s sister refuses security

SAD spokesperson Winnerjit Goldy said Kamaldeep Kaur Rajoana had refused to take security provided by the Sangrur DC’s office. She said the Sikh Panth would give her security.