Tabs on rivals’ plans, video calls, parleys with workers: Candidates make the last day count

Amritsar/Patiala/ Bathinda : After days of gruelling campaigning spanning over two months, most of the candidates in the fray for Lok Sabha polls in Punjab preferred to stay indoors due to searing heatwave.

While some interacted with their workers via video-conferencing, others asked their supporters to mobilise voters for polling on Saturday. A few candidates also visited temples and gurdwaras to seek blessings of the almighty.

On the eve of polling day, incumbent Bathinda MP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal remained indoors with her family. Her close aide said the Akali leader spoke with a few key party activists over phone.

“After hectic weeks of electioneering, she spent the day with family and dined together after several days,” said MP’s aide.

State agriculture minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contestant Gurmeet Khudian visited several families on his turf in Lambi in Muktsar district. His son Sumeet Khudian, who was coordinating canvassing, said that the minister did not hold any election meeting on Friday.

“There was no door-to-door meeting today. Khudian saab visited several families in his assembly constituency to mourn deaths,” said Sumeet.

Veteran Congress candidate Jeetmohinder Singh Sidhu held an emergency meeting after a fabricated audio clip claiming his voice went viral.

Sidhu told reporters that he has lodged a complaint with the election authorities and the police administration.

“It is clearly a political conspiracy to dent our canvassing. There was another audio clip falsely attributed to former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi. There must be an in-depth probe into the matter,” said the four-time legislator, who said he would cast a vote at his native village Pathrala.

Former IAS officer and BJP candidate from Bathinda Parampal Kaur Sidhu also remained confined to her home at Bathinda’s Model Town.

Her aide said she met a few party leaders and rested a while before preparing for a crucial day of polling on Saturday.

BJP candidate from Amritsar and former Indian diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu paid obeisance at Gurdwara Shaheedan Sahib Baba Deep Singh and prayed for the well-being of all.

He listened to “kirtan” and wished for the development, progress, prosperity and unity of brotherhood in Amritsar. On this occasion, he did “sewa” at “joda ghar” (shoe store).

He said he has come under the shelter of almighty as he gets immense peace by coming near Guru Sahib. “Whatever position I have achieved today is due to the grace of Guru Sahib and I will always be thankful to him,” he said while interacting with media.

Cabinet minister and AAP candidate Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal also paid obeisance at the Golden Temple. On the occasion, Dhaliwal said: “During the 78-day-long campaign, I addressed as many as 460 meetings in urban and rural areas. After the campaign has ended, I have come here for ‘ardaas’ for peace, prosperity and development of Punjab. I gained energy from the sacred of Guru Ramdas Jee during the campaign. So, I am here to thank Guru Sahib.”

“Revival of the local industry, bringing big projects from Centre and reducing unemployment will be my aim after winning the elections,” he added.

Congress candidate and sitting MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla met his supporters throughout the day and held discussions with them regarding the elections. He exhorted them to leave no stone unturned to ensure victory of Congress.

On the other hand, the SAD candidate Anil Joshi carried out door-to-door campaigning in Ajnala town and appealed to the voters for support. During this campaign, he approached traders, shopkeepers, farmers and people of other occupations to make last effort to garner support.

In Patiala, key candidates met their party workers and asked them to mobilise voters to exercise their right to franchise on Saturday.

Usually, candidates do door-to-door campaigning on the day before the election given a ban on large gatherings. Instead of door-to-door canvassing, the candidates focussed on micromanagement through workers.

Some candidates held video-conferences with their booth workers and asked them to keep an eye on opposition activities to check rival candidates’ moves on the distribution of money, liquor or freebies to lure voters.

BJP nominee Preneet Kaur, who had fought elections for decades on the Congress ticket, ensured that voters were aware of her newly adopted party symbol “Lotus”. Similarly, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, who was earlier associated with the AAP and then with another party, too, reached out to the voters through phone calls to convey his party symbol.

SAD candidate NK Sharma was seen listening to the grievances of the victims of a major fire incident reported in the Chotti Baradari area in the city. Several shops were gutted in the fire, but no loss of life was reported.