Lok Sabha elections: It’s intense in Majha

Jupinderjit Singh

The Majha region with three Lok Sabha constituencies — Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib and Gurdaspur, faces a dilemma: How to choose between familiar faces, unknown but interesting outsiders and plain Sikh hardliners. The region is of particular interest because it is the epicentre of Sikh Panth politics and issues.

Issues that matter

• Package for border areas
• Release of Bandi Singhs
• Revival of industry struggling due to many factors
• Trade with Pakistan

As the polling day, June 1, coincides with the first day of the Ghallughara week that marks the 40th anniversary of Operation Bluestar, sentiments have begun to run high. They could become a factor for the electorate, especially in parts of Amritsar and Khadoor Sahib.

At the same time, residents in parts of Gurdaspur constituency say they will only support “nationalistic” sentiments, which is likely to translate into a vote for the BJP. The Khadoor Sahib constituency, which includes areas from Doaba and Malwa regions, is in the limelight because Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistan activist and a detainee under the National Security Act, is contesting as an Independent supported by the Simranjit Singh Mann-led SAD (Amritsar). He is facing a tough battle from Virsa Singh Valtoha of the SAD.

Sikhs comprise about 75 per cent of the population and their vote can decide the winner. Amritsar’s unique blend of rebellion and deep-seated devotion to the Panth means that even when the BJP was in alliance with the SAD and fielded an “outsider” candidate, that candidate had to bite the dust. While Navjot Singh Sidhu won from here, top BJP leaders like Arun Jaitley and Hardeep Singh Puri have lost. This time around, the SAD has fielded ex-BJP leader Anil Joshi, while the BJP has brought in former Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who, though being local, has tried to reconnect with his roots. Lately, he has even begun calling himself Taranjit Singh Sandhu Samundari, the last name a throwback to his grandfather and noted Sikh leader Teja Singh Samundari. Incumbent Congress MP GS Aujla is seeking a third successive win. He won the 2017 bypoll as well as the 2019 General Election with convincing margins of two lakh and one lakh votes, respectively.

This time around, Aujla has promised to take up the cause of the release of Bandi Singhs who continue to be in jail although their sentences have been long over. AAP, meanwhile, which won seven out of nine Assembly seats in Amritsar in the 2022 elections, has kept faith with its minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal.

The poll will be a litmus test for SAD and BJP, which until 2022 were together. Interestingly, the Akali Dal has placed its bets on Hindu face Anil Joshi, while the BJP has fielded Taranjit Singh Sandhu. In Gurdaspur, “outsider” candidate Vinod Khanna won four times on the back of the BJP-Akali alliance, “outsider” Sunil Jakhar won the 2017 bypoll on a Congress ticket and “outsider” actor Sunny Deol won in 2019 on the BJP-SAD ticket. This time around, the Akalis have put up “outsider” candidate Dr Daljeet Cheema. The religious divide in Gurdaspur is too obvious to be missed. Pathankot has three segments — Bhoa, Pathankot city and Sujanpur. All three are Hindu-dominated and strongholds of BJP’s Dinesh Babbu.