Chandigarh: Balbir Singh Rajewal, one of Punjab’s top farmer leaders, is locked in a stiff multi-corner contest in this chaste rural segment of Ludhiana district.
Rajewal, who was one of the main faces of the over-a-year-long farmers’ protest on Delhi borders against now-repealed farm laws, is contesting his maiden assembly election from his home turf, Samrala, which has so far been choosing between the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidates.
While Ludhiana district sends a maximum of 14 legislators – out of the total 117 members – in the state assembly, the Samrala segment, which is predominated by Jat Sikhs and Dalit population, has chosen Congress candidates eight times and SAD MLAs, six times in the past state polls.
The sitting MLA Amrik Singh Dhillon, who is a four-time MLA, and who had won in 2017 election as a Congress candidate, has been denied ticket by the party after he sought a ticket for his son. He is contesting as an independent candidate from here.
The Congress has fielded Rupinder Singh Raja Gill - a prominent realtor from nearby Khanna segment - who is the son of former minister Karam Singh Gill, and a relative of Khanna MLA Gurkirat Kotli, grandson of former Punjab chief minister late Beant Singh.
Another strong candidate in the segment this time is Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP’s) Jagtar Singh, a first-timer, but an active local AAP leader. Stating that there is a strong AAP wave in the region, he says it is the Congress and SAD which have ruined the state. Even though the AAP candidate Sarbans Singh Manki had finished second in the 2017 polls, he reportedly did not remain active in the area, hence ticket to AAP activist Jagtar Singh.
Even though he has the backing of many villages in the segment - Samrala being his home turf - the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) chief Rajewal who has also been projected as the party’s chief ministerial face, but, is also facing opposition from a section of farmers who were against the farmers’ entry into politics.
While there are farmers who also say this is a futile exercise as the SSM does not have a cadre base, there are many who support him saying that he has people’s support and the SSM’s aim is to teach the traditional political parties a lesson and cleanse the system.
Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD’s) Paramjit Singh Dhillon says that Samrala has always been a SAD stronghold and this time SAD has an advantage because of its alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party. The SAD had won Samrala in 2007, 1986, 1977, 1972, 1969, and 1951. The SAD and BSP are cadre-based parties, hence confident of its votes, he adds.
