Depending on young guns for ending decade-long Congress-rule in Delhi, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) has chosen three leaders from party’s youth wing out of the four seats in its share in 70-member Assembly.
The party has fielded one of its strongest candidates to take on the representative of the ruling Congress in its citadel in December 4 polls. Akali Dal has also decided to contest elections on its party symbol, the ‘weighing scale’, from two constituencies —Rajouri Garden and Hira Nagar, while it will contest the other two seats — Kalkaji and Shahdara — on the party symbol of its coalition partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
To everyone’s surprise, the blue brigade has fielded the BJP leader Shyam lal Sharma on its poll symbol from Hari Nagar constituency in West Delhi — a move construed as an “added advantage” for the Akalis, and a typical Sukhbir Badal’s manoeuvre. Known for routing out Sarnas from Delhi’s Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee after their decades-long rule, SAD’s Delhi unit general secretary and local youth president Manjinder Singh Sirsa has been declared party candidate from Rajouri Garden.
For fighting the big battle in Delhi’s Sikh-dominated constituency, SAD has trusted Sirsa, who had defeated SAD (Delhi) chief and former DSGMC president Paramjit Sarna in his bastion - Punjabi Bagh during the DSGMC polls. Rajouri Garden, located in West Delhi with majority of Punjabi Hindus and Sikh population, has been represented by the Congress since 1993. Even as the declaration of Sharma’s name to be fielded as SAD candidate has raised many eyebrows, the party considered the move to prove beneficial for the alliance.
“The decision is well-thought of and planned. Besides BJP’s full support, the selection of a BJP candidate... a Hindu face would give the party a secular image as the people mainly connect with the SAD as a Sikh party, especially after its win in Gurdwara elections,” a senior Aklai leader told The Pioneer. SAD, Delhi unit, chief Manjit Singh GK said that Sharma, a councillor from Janakpuri North ward of South Delhi Municipal Corporation, would join the Akali Dal to contest on party’s election symbol.
Other than Sharma and Sirsa, the name of DSGMC member and party’s youth wing’s secretary general in Delhi, Harmit Singh Kalka has been selected to represent the party in Kalkaji constituency, while the name of Jatinder Singh Shunty, the former BJP councillor and sitting SAD councilor of East Delhi Municipal Corporation from Jhilmil colony, has been finalized for contesting elections from Shahdara seat.
Announcing the names of candidates, senior SAD leader and in-charge of party’s affairs in Delhi, Balwant Singh Ramoowalia made it clear that the two of its candidates will contest on the party symbol, while the other two will contest on ally BJP’s symbol. “The decision to contest two seats on the BJP symbol had been taken with an aim to ensure maximum number of wins,” he added.
Among the issues that the party would raise are giving equal treatment to Punjabi language, which Ramoowalia claimed was presently being given “step motherly” treatment. “If the BJP-SAD alliance is voted to power, we would strive to get the culprits of 1984 riots punished besides looking into various other issues like welfare of minorities and better law and order,” he said. Senior party leader and MP Naresh Gujral said that we have ensured that the chosen candidates have a clean image.
Manjit Singh GK said that the coalition’s fight is against corrupt and incompetent government of Congress party. “Victory of BJP-SAD coalition in Delhi would be a historic as it would pave way for the NDA to form government in the Centre,” he added. He said that the alliance would run an aggressive campaign and reach out to every single voter as every vote is important to defeat the Congress’ misrule.