MLA report cards: Ajit Inder Singh Mofar and Chitan Singh Samao

Ajit Inder Singh Mofar, 66, Congress

Constituency: Sardulgarh

Education: Class12

Assets declared in last polls: Rs 3 cr

Electoral record

2012: Defeated SAD candidate Dilraj Singh Bhunder by 2,732 votes

2007: Defeated SAD’s Balwinder Singh Bhunder by 4,552 votes

Assembly record

Questions asked: 92

Call attention moved: 2

Power punch His son is married to ex-CM Beant Singh’s grand-daughter

What next Likely to get the ticket this time too

How he performed

Mofar is seen as a lone Congress voice opposing the Akalis and their strong leader Balwinder Singh Bhunder in the area. He has strong connect with the people as he often eats and drinks with ordinary folks. Being from the opposition, he has not been able to carry out major developmental work, though he claims to have set up a waterworks and also got done repair of roads in most villages. He says he managed to get funds from Congress MPs and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to initiate development projects. He has been very vocal over the pollution of the river Ghaggar that flows through Sardulgarh; and blames the SAD-BJP government for it. His son is district unit chief of the Congress, and they have been active in protests against the government.

Voter speak

He is an opposition MLA, so could not do much. Most of the development work in the region was done by leaders of the ruling SAD-BJP alliance.

Jitender Singh Sodhi, 45, educationist

Our MLA has a grounded personality and, despite being a Congress MLA, he has been able to bring projects for development. He stood by the people against injustice by the government.

Sarban Bindal, 42, businessman.

By the way

An avid skater; athlete since young days

Chitan Singh Samao, 74, Shiromani Akali Dal

Constituency: Budhlada (SC)

Education: Literate

Assets declared in last polls: Rs 6 lakh

Electoral record

2012: Defeated Congress candidate Satpal Singh by 6,448 votes

2007: Did not contest; Mangat Rai Bansal won this seat for Congress

Assembly record

Questions asked: 24

Call attention moved: 0

Power punch Rose from panchayat level as SC leader; ex-MP, was in SGPC

What next Wants to get his son to contest in his place

How he performed

Samao represents a seat that is a part of the Bathinda Lok Sabha segment of Union minister and SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal. His tenure saw free flow of funds from the MP, and that led to construction of drain and canal distributaries in almost the entire rural area of Budhlada. In the last two years, his supporters and he have had repeated run-ins with officials of the police and district administration for which he has been publicly rebuked by deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and Harsimrat. Despite being a leader from Scheduled Castes (SC), he was rarely involved in SC issues in his constituency. Through his political clout, he has managed to place his own men in the local civic body of Budhlada. His critics claim that he has been eclipsed by some of his coterie members who call the shots.

Voter speak

The MLA has been very supportive and accessible to the people, and, being from the ruling party, he could manage to draw funds for some projects to the constituency.

Darshan Kumar, 62, retd banker

Nothing worth appreciation has been done in the last five years by the MLA as such. Broken roads, dying businesses and lack of education facilities remain.

Kailash Prashar, 50, doctor

By the way

Was once a ‘dhadi’ (religious ballad singer).

Tomorrow: Lehra, Dirba, Sunam, Bhadaur