Sucha Singh Chhotepur traverses 'difficult' Batala seat

Ravi Dhaliwal

Batala, February 6

He is the most accurate weathervane of Punjab politics. In his 55-year-long political life, two-time legislator Sucha Singh Chhotepur has developed an uncanny ability to see through people and things.

Makes light of rivals

I enjoy a clear advantage because Congress men are busy fighting each other. The BJP and AAP are non-starters, while the farmers’ party has failed to make its presence felt. Sucha Singh Chhotepur, SAD nominee

He knows when to jump the ship and when to continue his journey in the same ship. From being an Independent to joining the ranks of the SAD and then the Congress and then back to the SAD, the 77-year-old has seen it all. In between, in 2014, he joined AAP and became Kejriwal’s go-to man.

He is contesting from Batala on the SAD ticket. This may not be one of his traditional seats, but in no way he is an unknown figure. In the 2014 General Election, Chhotepur, contesting from Gurdaspur on the AAP ticket, secured nearly 30,000 votes from the Batala Assembly segment.

Scores of supporters gather at his rented house before the break of dawn every day and discuss the future and fortunes of their rival parties over cups of tea.

While getting ready, he enquires from a loyalist which villages and municipal wards he will be visiting during the day. “For many reasons, Batala is a difficult seat to contest. Nevertheless, I enjoy a clear advantage because Congress men are busy fighting each other. The BJP and AAP are non-starters, while the farmers’ party has failed to make its presence felt. Moreover, as compared to other candidates, I am the proverbial early bird and have already covered a lot of distance,” he says.

Notwithstanding the fog, Chhotepur and his entourage visit labyrinthine lanes of the city. He plans his tour in such a way that he touches the areas which have a fair number of Hindu voters. “The voters in villages have rejected all parties. I have the support of Hindu voters. Some SC leaders have also assured me of their backing. That is why I am in a win-win situation,” says Chhotepur.

While touring the city, he shows you the dug-up sewerage system. “The entire city has been dug up, following which people have a harrowing time in commuting,” says Chhotepur.