Big Fight: Down to wire in Batala, Pathankot

Ravi Dhaliwal

Batala, February 19

Batala and Pathankot have emerged as two seats where the competition is “extremely intense” even as seasoned pollsters claim things are sure to go to the wire at both these places.

In Batala, Congress’ Ashwani Sekhri is involved in a four-way contest with Sucha Singh Chhotepur (SAD), Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa (BJP) and Sherry Kalsi (AAP). Sekhri has contested the past seven elections, winning four of them. He has also remained a minister in the Capt Amarinder Singh Cabinet from 2002-07. He is seen as the Hindu face of the party in the area.

He has a tight grip over the voters residing in the walled city, but he is seen to be comparatively weak in a majority of the 86-odd villages where the Jat Sikh vote holds sway.

Chhotepur is banking on the votes in rural areas while Fateh Jung Bajwa lays claim to the BJP’s hardcore 25,000-strong vote bank. Sherry Kalsi flaunts survey reports to prove he is “miles ahead of his rivals.”

Cabinet Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa is seen as the X-factor who can swing the elections anyway he wants to. He was once a claimant to the Congress ticket from Batala.

He is now trying his luck from the neighbouring seat of Fatehgarh Churian from where he is also the incumbent MLA. Bajwa has been at daggers drawn with Sekhri for the last couple of years. As a minister he has presided over almost all developmental works in the city much to Sekhri’s dismay. In Pathankot, an interesting three-way contest has developed among Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma, Amit Vij of the Congress and Vibhuti Sharma of AAP. Sources say it could be anybody’s game.

The other seats where keen contests will be seen are Dera Baba Nanak and Gurdaspur.

In Dera Baba Nanak, Deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa is engaged in a fierce contest with Ravi Karan Kahlon of SAD while in Gurdaspur, Raman Bahl of AAP, Barindermeet Singh Pahra of the Congress and Gurbachan Singh Babbehali are all on a par with each other.