A former journalist, Jarnail Singh, who shot to fame for throwing a shoe at former Home Minister P Chidambaram on the 1984 Sikh genocide issue, is facing a tough electoral path to winning against five-time Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
Banking upon his pivotal role in bringing the 1984 Sikh Genocide issue to the forefront following the infamous shoe incident in 2009, a former Delhi MlA and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from lambi constituency is also hoping to cash in on massive anti-incumbency wave against SAD-BJP Government after its ten years rule in Punjab.
A prominent Sikh face of AAP, Singh had resigned from the Delhi assembly to contest against the Akali patriarch. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal represents lambi constituency and had won in 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012.
Jarnail Singh had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Assembly elections from West Delhi on AAP ticket and in 2015, he was elected as the AAP MlA from Rajouri Garden.
While the Akalis and Congress have been calling him an “outsider” and questioning his “credentials” to contest from a high-profile lambi constituency, Singh is confident of his victory and feels that his battle for justice for the Sikh community for many years, will help him win people’s support in the assembly polls.
“logo ko badlaav chahiye, naaki Badal (People of lambi wants change, not Badal) and are ready to throw Badal out of power in the Assembly polls,” says Jarnail Singh, while talking to The Pioneer.
Singh has vowed to end the gundagardi of SAD-BJP combine ruling the state for last ten years and has placed “justice to anti-Sikh riot victims” as his major election agenda. Excerpts from the interview
· You shot to fame for throwing a shoe at former Home Minister P Chidambaram at a press conference in 2009. It is being said that merely being known for hurling a shoe at Chidambaram cannot be a game changer... How do you look at the incident nowIJ
It is good for me that the opposition parties are taking about the shoe hurling incident. I am happy that they are making me popular saying such things and highlighting the incident.
· SAD has termed you as a lightweight against the Akali patriarch Parkash Singh Badal. Do you think you stand a chance of beating the Chief MinisterIJ
Badal was heckled and people are protesting against him, when he goes for election campaigning. This shows that people do not trust him anymore and have made their mind to defeat SAD-BJP coalition in the election. logo ko badlaav chahiye, naaki Badal. Congress have always fielded weakest candidate against Badal so far to ensure his victory. But with my candidature in the election, people have a strong reason to vote in AAP’s favour and against Badal this time.
· You have been called an “outsider” in Punjab. Your say on that.
I am not an outsider. My family belonged to lahore (before partition). I have enrolled as a voter in the lambi assembly constituency.
· What would be the key agenda in your constituency for assembly pollsIJ
Ending the gundagardi of Akalis. People are really scared of SAD and my priority would be to end their jungle raj besides putting an end to drug menace here. During SAD-BJP tenure, people have witnessed sacrilege incidents, deteriorating law and order situation.
· What would go in your favor in the assembly pollsIJ
I have fought for justice for anti-Sikh riots victims for many years… I have sacrificed my job and then, my MlA seat in Delhi Assembly. Given my background, I strongly believe that people of lambi would repose their faith in me.
· What kind of campaigning are you focusing on and how much time do you spend in the field for campaigning in a dayIJ
I have been campaigning for more than 13 hours and focusing on connecting with the people in villages by holding public meetings.