In Gidderbaha, Sukhbir strikes emotional chord, recalls father’s local connect

Aiming revival of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the political landscape of Punjab’s Malwa, party president Sukhbir Singh Badal held a number of meetings with people in villages of the Gidderbaha constituency for two days. During the meetings, Sukhbir struck an emotional chord, laying emphasis on the goodwill and legacy of his late father (former chief minister) Parkash Singh Badal.

He reminded the people about their connection with his father. He has also asked the people to bring their old pictures with his father, saying that he is making a museum on the life of Parkash Singh Badal.

Though the Election Commission hasn’t announced the bypoll schedule in Punjab yet, Sukhbir has formally kicked off his party’s campaign in Gidderbaha.

“Badal sahib (Parkash Singh Badal) spent his life with his people. He considered you as his family. I am here only to talk with the people who have worked with him. A victory in the Gidderbaha bypoll will be a repeat of history. In 1995, after the victory in the Gidderbaha bypoll, SAD formed the government in 1997,” Sukhbir said.

Sunday marked the second consecutive day of Sukhbir’s meetings in villages of the constituency. He held 16 meetings in two villages on Saturday and 14 meetings in eight villages on Sunday. Among them, 11 meetings were held in Kaoni village, the native place of Congress leader Narinder Singh Kaoni. Sukhbir was accompanied by Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon, who is likely to be the party’s candidate. During meetings, Sukhbir urged people to support Dhillon in the constituency.

He also held meetings with the old loyalists, who had worked with his father. He also recalled the development projects and achievements during the tenure of the SAD government.

A senior SAD leader said Sukhbir would put more focus on the Gidderbaha segment. “It was a two-day meeting plan. The further plan for bypolls will be made after the Rakhar Punia rally in Baba Bakala and another in Longowal on the death anniversary of former SAD president Harchand Singh Longowal,” the leader said.

There are speculations that Sukhbir may contest the bypoll, but party’s vice president Daljit Singh Cheema clarified he was holding the meetings in his capacity as the party chief. “There is no final decision on the candidature. Gidderbaha falls in his home district and the constituency is very close to the Badal family as Badal (Parkash Singh Badal) had won five consecutive elections from here. He will soon hold meetings in other constituencies as well,” he added.

Ex-CM Parkash Singh Badal won this constituency from 1969 to 1985 and later shifted to the Lambi constituency. Later, Sukhbir’s cousin Manpreet Singh Badal contested his first election (bypoll) from Gidderbaha in 1995 and won the vidhan sabha elections in 1997, 2002 and 2007. He was expelled from SAD in 2010 and formed his own People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) but lost in 2012. Since then, the seat has been won by Congress leader Amarinder Singh Raja Warring for three consecutive times.

In 2022 state assembly polls, Warring won by a slim margin of 1,355 votes from SAD’s Dimpy Dhillon. Warring resigned from the seat after he was elected as a member of parliament from Ludhiana in June.

Warring is also holding meetings in the Gidderbaha constituency for the past three days. His wife Amrita Warring also held meetings in the constituency for the second consecutive day on Sunday. Warring is said to have been seeking a Congress ticket for his wife for the Gidderbaha bypoll, say people familiar with the development. Kaoni is a close aide of Raja Warring.