Bathinda’s history dates back to the time when Razia Sultana, the first and only lady ruler of the Delhi Sultanates, was imprisoned in Qila Mubarak fort after she was defeated and dethroned. But most people nowadays associate the fifth largest city of Punjab with the battles not on the field, but on the political turf.
Ever since Harsimrat Kaur Badal—Punjab’s five-time Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s daughter-in-law and SAD president Sukhbir Badal’s wife—made an entry in Bathinda electoral field, it has virtually turned the arena for political bigwigs. And every time, she has conquered— defeating her brother-in-law Manpreet Badal in 2014, and the Congress stalwart Capt Amarinder Singh’s son Raninder Singh in 2009.
This time too, the Bathinda battlefield is expected to witness a cliff-hanger with Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, and Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) “rebel” leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira giving enough indications to end Harsimrat’s supremacy in the constituency.
For almost a decade, Bathinda has been the Badals’ forte. But this time, the rival political parties are contemplating the fielding of their strong candidates for breaking into the Badals’ bastion.
Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat’s candidature as SAD-BJP combine’s nominee is incontestable. On the other hand, the process of ticket allocation is yet to begin, rather, even the process of short-listing of candidates have not reached conclusive stage in the Congress and AAP.
However, a set of supporters in the Congress party want estranged Badal (read Manpreet) to find his way into the Parliament through Bathinda. But at the same time, another section of party leaders also insisted on having a “local” and “popular” leader to give a tough fight to the two-time MP. It was argued that “Badal” would not be enough to defeat Harsimrat.
Manpreet, only recently, expressed his desire to contest elections from Bathinda against Harsimrat. At the same time, he made it clear that neither his wife, Veenu Badal, nor his son Arjan Badal, would contest the 2019 elections.
For the seat, the name of Nirvan Singh, the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s grandson, was also doing the rounds. With Capt Amarinder talking in terms of hanging his boots sooner, he is introducing his daughter Jai Inder Kaur’s younger son, Nirvan, into the politics.
The presence of Nirvan, 27-year-old scion of the erstwhile Patiala royal family, along with his Chief Minister grandfather in official meetings, party rallies hardly go unnoticed. Notably, Nirvan has been handling Capt Amarinder’s social media, and is being seen as his political heir after his son, Raninder Singh, failed to make a mark.
Raninder had unsuccessfully contested two elections so far including Bathinda Lok Sabha seat in 2009 against Harsimrat and lost by 1,20,948 votes. Capt Amarinder has already made it clear that his son was not interested in politics.
“Bathinda would be the perfect launch pad for Nirvan as the Patiala royalty have their ancestral village in the constituency—Mehraj in Rampura Phul tehsil of Bathinda district —and a suitable choice against the Badals,” said a senior Congress leader.
While the Congress leaders are discussing the names of the two bigwigs, candidature of party’s former MLA Ajit Inder Singh Mofar, and Bathinda district (rural) president Khusbaz Jatana are also under consideration.
AAP is struggling to find a suitable face for Bathinda constituency after its 2014 elections candidate, Punjabi singer-actor Jassi Jasraj, parted ways with the party. Jasraj was polled just 87,901 (7.47 percent) votes in his first electoral battle and went on to lose his security deposit.
But for AAP, Bathinda has emerged as a stronghold after 2017 Assembly polls with the nascent political party capturing five out of the total nine Assembly segments in the constituency. However, two of them have turned rebel.
“If any MLA contests from Bathinda, it would bring down the number of legislators in Vidhan Sabha, and winning bye-elections with Congress in power will not be easy.
So, the entire situation can result in party losing the Leader of Opposition post,” AAP leader told The Pioneer, who did not wish to be named.
While Maur MLA Jagdev Singh Kamalu and Mansa MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia have turned rebel and supporting another rebel MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, party may field Bathinda Rural MLA Rupinder Kaur Ruby, Talwandi Sabo MLA Prof Baljinder Kaur, or Budhlada MLA Budh Ram, who is also State’s core committee head.
What turns Bathinda into an exciting encounter is Khaira, who has recently floated his own outfit—Punjabi Ekta Party (PEP)—after parting ways with the AAP following his unceremonious removal as the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha.
Khaira, while opening PEP’s first office at Bathinda, indicated at the “strong possibility” of him contest 2019 elections from Bathinda.
Khaira’s PEP has joined hands with other splinter groups and individual leaders —AAP’s “suspended” MP Dr Dharamvir Gandhi, SAD (Taksali), Lok Insaaf Party (LIP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) among others—to form a grand alliance Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA). And available information suggests that Khaira would be the PDA’s candidate from Bathinda.
“Workers and leaders of the party are asking me to contest from Bathinda. I will consult with all stakeholders in the party and our alliance partners before taking any decision,” Khaira had stated after opening his party office at Bathinda.
Even as AAP’s two rebel MLAs—Kamalu and Mansahia —are yet to resign from the party, they are expected to lend their support to Khaira. Besides, AAP’s candidate from Bathinda urban seat during 2017 elections, Deepak Bansal, has also joined Khaira.
The division between the AAP is going to cost it dear as not only the party leadership in the constituency, the workers are also divided between the two factions.
Seeking to score a hat-trick this time, Harsimrat is largely concentrating on the urban segment of the constituency. Even though Harsimrat managed to win 2014 election by a threadbare margin of about 20,000 votes against Manpreet—the Congress-People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) combine candidate, she trailed behind him by nearly 30,000 votes from Bathinda Urban Assembly segment.
Harsimrat, who has emerged out of the shadows of the Badal family to assume the mantle of a leader with her own identity, has brought investment of Rs 1,500 crore in 41 projects in Punjab as the Union Food Processing Minister. Besides, she lists the AIIMS Bathinda and a Government-aided girls’ college in Mansa as her achievement during the second tenure.
CONSTITUENCY AT A GLANCE
Bathinda comprises nine Vidhan Sabha segments, out of which five are represented by the first-timer Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with the ruling Congress and the SAD having two seats each in its share.
Comprising primarily of rural population with more than 80 percent, the constituency spread across the entire Mansa district, Bucho, Maur and Talwandi Sabo blocks of Bathinda district besides Lambi block of Muktsar district.
Out of the total 16 elections the constituency has witnessed, SAD has won eight, including two back-to-back wins by Harsimrat in 2009 and 2014.
2014 ELECTION
The 2014 Lok Sabha elections witnessed a closely-contested Badal-versus-Badal electoral battle between the Badal bahu Harsimrat and senior Badal’s estranged nephew Manpreet. In a battle of prestige, Harsimrat succeeded in trouncing her brother-in-law by a meagre 19,395 votes, that for a vote share difference by only 1.64 percent.
LAST THREE MPs
2004: Paramjit Kaur Gulshan (SAD)
2009: Harsimrat Kaur Badal (SAD)
2014: Harsimrat Kaur Badal (SAD)