The July 10 Jalandhar West assembly by-election is shaping up to be a battle of ideologies and strategies. While the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have opted to field turncoats, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have strategically placed their trust in the grassroots workers. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has followed suit, nominating a long-time booth-level worker for the multi-cornered contest.
Cong’s Strategic Choice: Surinder Kaur
In a move emphasizing loyalty over opportunism, Congress has nominated 63-year-old Surinder Kaur — a former Senior Deputy Mayor and five-time councillor from Jallowal Abadi. Known for her unwavering commitment, Surinder Kaur took over her late husband Ram Asra Chaudhary’s political legacy in 2001. She has balanced her responsibilities as a councilor, businesswoman, and mother, gaining widespread respect in her community. Surinder Kaur’s selection comes after considerable internal deliberation. The party’s decision to finalize her candidacy more than 10 days ago but delay the announcement was aimed at managing potential rebellions. Her nomination underscored Congress’ commitment to its core values, contrasting sharply with its recent campaign against party hoppers.
SAD’s panthic candidate: Surjit Kaur
Akali Dal has chosen Surjit Kaur — a two-time councilor and widow of a former councilor Jathedar Pritam Singh. Known for her social work and community service, Surjit Kaur’s candidacy was decided by a SAD’s four-member committee, comprising Bibi Jagir Kaur, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Dr Sukhwinder Sukhi and Mohinder Singh Kaypee. Bibi Jagir Kaur expressed confidence that Surjit Kaur’s dedication to the panthic cause and her community service will resonate with voters. “I am confident that the people will support a hard working party leader from Jalandhar West,” she added.
BSP’s Long-Term Commitment: Binder Lakha
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has nominated Binder Lakha, a party booth-level worker, working for the party organization for the last 25 years while holding various positions. Announcing his candidacy, BSP Punjab state president Jasvir Singh Garhi highlighted Lakha’s longstanding dedication to the party. Lakha’s nomination symbolizes the BSP’s focus on grassroots organization and consistent party loyalty.
AAP, BJP’s Turncoat Candidates
In a contrasting approach, AAP and BJP have fielded candidates with a history of switching allegiances. AAP’s candidate, Mohinder Bhagat, son of former BJP Minister Bhagat Chunni Lal, previously contested the 2022 assembly elections as a BJP candidate. Sheetal Angural, the former AAP MLA whose resignation necessitated the by-election, will contest as the BJP candidate this time.
The Electoral Landscape
The upcoming bypolls in Jalandhar West constituency have become a battleground for candidates with a history of shifting loyalties and grassroot workers.
Interestingly, just two weeks after Jalandhar voters resoundingly rejected turncoats in the Lok Sabha elections, AAP and BJP have once again placed their bets on leaders who have recently switched allegiances — to test the electoral waters despite recent voter backlash against opportunistic political switches.
Notably, the voters had outrightly rejected SAD’s former MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu, who contested on an AAP ticket; Congress’ former MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee, who was an Akali candidate; and AAP’s former MP Sushil Kumar Rinku, who was the BJP’s candidate. Instead, they elected former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi from the Jalandhar reserved seat in the recently-concluded general elections.
AAP has nominated Mohinder Bhagat, a former BJP leader who joined AAP last year. Bhagat had contested unsuccessfully on a BJP ticket in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections. He hailed from the 30,000-strong Kabir panthi community.
On the other hand, the saffron party has fielded Angural, who had previously won the Jalandhar West assembly seat under the AAP banner in 2022, but switched to the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year.
Contrarily, the deep-rooted connections and service to the Ravidassia community are seen as pivotal to the candidacy of Congress’ Surinder Kaur, who hails from the community. Similarly, Surjit Kaur’s panthic background and Binder Lakha’s decades-long grassroots work position them as strong contenders with deep local ties.
Punjab CM to participate in shobha yatra today
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is expected to participate in the shobha yatra marking Kabir Jayanti on June 21, underscoring the importance of the Kabir Panthi community, which has a substantial voter base of around 30,000 in Jalandhar West.
