Former Union Minister Preneet Kaur may get a second chance to test her luck after losing the Patiala parliamentary seat just about two months back. Her name has figured on the top of the list of probables for Patiala Assembly bypoll, along with former Bathinda MlA Harminder Singh Jassi for party’s candidates for Talwandi Sabo Assembly by election, scheduled for August 21.
Congress, it seems, is in no mood to take any chances in fielding its candidates for the by-elections and does not want to commit the same mistake it did in previous elections — by announcing the names of its candidates late.
In 2012 Assembly polls, party took a bit too long to decide on its candidates, giving not much time to woo back the defectors, and familiarising its “lesser known” candidates with the local electorates — leading to poll debacle. Similarly, in 2014 lok Sabha polls, many candidates could not cover the entire constituency, which the ruling SAD-BJP candidates had already covered.
Seeing that the party is losing precious time in setting the election ball rolling with the SAD already announcing former MlA Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu as alliance candidate for Talwandi Sabo constituency, state Congress chief has reportedly reached Delhi with the recommendations of Preneet and Jassi.
The Patiala Assembly seat fall vacant after sitting Congress MlA Capt Amarinder Singh was elected Member Parliament from Amritsar in May. On the other hand, Talwandi Sabo seat was vacated after sitting Congress MlA Sidhu not only resigned from the primary membership of the Congress party but also as Vidhan Sabha member to join the ruling SAD in March this year.
Even as the SAD-BJP alliance has won all elections, including two by-polls — Moga and Dasuya during its seven year regime since 2007 when it formed the government in Punjab, the two by-poll would be a litmus test for the alliance, especially after disappointing lok Sabha poll result in the state.
With the departure of ‘Patiala Royal’ from the state politics after his appointment as Deputy leader of Congress in lok Sabha and defeat of his wife Preneet Kaur from Patiala parliamentary seat, Congress has almost made up its mind to field the former Union Minister from Patiala Assembly constituency.
The four-time Patiala MP is reported to have already received party high command’s signal to start her campaign in the segment.
Even as the name of royal scion Raninder Singh was also considered with Patiala being a “safe seat” for him to enter the political arena, Preneet has ended up to be the final choice. Capt Amarinder has apparently selected his wife over his son to be his replacement.
A look at the background, the Congress has won Patiala assembly constituency with wide margins in all eight polls since 1998, including five lok Sabha and three Assembly polls. It was in 1997 that Akali Dal won Patiala when Capt Amarinder was missing from Punjab’s political canvass.
However, in recent parliamentary elections, a new entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s candidate Dr Dharamveera Gandhi left everyone shocked by defeating sitting MP Preneet Kaur.
SAD is yet undecided over its candidate, and is mulling over the names of Cabinet Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra’s younger brother Charanjit Singh Dhaliwal, a prominent Hindu face and Congress turncoat Vishnu Sharma, among others.
On the other hand, former legislator Harminder Singh Jassi is expected to be party’s candidate against Congressman-turned-Akali Sidhu — a three-time Talwandi Sabo MlA.
Political experts believed that the scales are titled in Sidhu’s favour who is enjoying an edge over his rival candidates considering being a ruling party candidate and sitting MlA, but the party’s “not-so-good” performance in Bathinda parliamentary seat in 2014 general elections is also seen as a warning signal.