The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has placed its tried and tested soldiers, Bikram Singh Majithia and Manjinder Singh Sirsa, on the saddle for winning the electoral race for the party from the prestigious Rajouri Garden Assembly seat on February 7 Delhi polls.
The team of Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia and outgoing MlA from Rajouri Garden Sirsa, who had earlier proved their mettle by capturing new grounds, has been given the charge of the crucial seat once again. Out of the four seats, this is the lone seat the SAD is contesting on its party symbol — the ‘weighing scale’.
The decision was taken during a high-level party meeting, under the leadership of SAD president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, in the national Capital to chalk out the party strategy for the polls.
As a part of its old and entrusted strategy, the party has decided to station Majithia, along with SAD’s Delhi unit in-charge Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, Istri Akali Dal chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, and Punjab Cabinet Minister Sikander Singh Maluka, for its toughest battle at Rajouri Garden till the conclusion of canvassing for the Delhi Assembly polls from where Sirsa has been fielded.
The Majithia-Sirsa duo, at previous times also, has shown their ability to conquer enemies’ territories. The two played an instrumental role in routing out Sarnas from Delhi’s Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) by defeating SAD (Delhi) chief and former DSGMC president Paramjit Sarna in his bastion, Punjabi Bagh.
Besides, they also engineered SAD’s victory in Congress citadel, Rajouri Garden seat, during previous Delhi polls. In line with SAD’s previous strategy, the party has imposed its faith in Sirsa and asked Majithia to concentrate fully and camp exclusively in Rajouri Garden for the entire election campaign.
The assembly segment with sizeable number of Sikh voters assumes significance for as in 2008 polls, SAD candidate Avtar Singh Hit lost by a margin of just 46 votes to Congress’ Dayanand Chandela.
In 2013 polls, Chandela was replaced by his wife, Dhanvantri Chandela, after the Congress dropped his name in view of serious criminal charges against him paving way for Sirsa who won the seat by a margin of 11,008 votes.
This time, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded Jarnail Singh, a journalist-turned-politician, from the Sikh-dominated seat, whose only claim to fame was a shoe-hurling incident wherein he hurled a shoe at the then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram over the issue of 1984 riots.
At the same time, Sirsa has been the area councilor and also enjoys a hold in the Punjabi Bagh area from where he defeated Sarana during Gurudwara polls. On the other hand, Jarnail is banking on his stand against the powers-that-be and support to the anti-Sikh riot victims — which would be a major issue in Delhi polls.
Besides Majithia, SAD’s rank and file, including Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his deputy son Sukhbir, Union Minister Harsimrat Badal, and other senior party leaders, will be camping in Delhi.
“The party’s MPs, MlAs, CPSs, general secretaries, secretaries, the entire rank and file will camp in Delhi, at least till the campaigning is on,” said SAD spokesperson and secretary Daljeet Singh Cheema. During its Wednesday meeting, the blue brigade assigned election campaign responsibilities to its senior party leaders and workers for all the four seats the party is contesting.
Apart from Rajouri Garden, SAD chief appointed party Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, senior leader Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, and retired IAS DS Guru for Hari Nagar seat — the only seat party lost in 2013 polls.
Janmeja Singh Sekhon and senior party leader Sewa Singh Sekhwan has been given the charge for Shahdra assembly segment, while party lok Sabha MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, Punjab Cabinet Minister Surjit Rakhra, and OSD to Deputy Chief Minister Charanjit Brar will look after Kalka ji seat.
To coordinate all seats and supervise the entire election campaign, Rajya Sabha MP and Akali stalwart Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, lok Sabha MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, senior leader Naresh Gujral and and DSGMC chief Manjit Singh GK has been given the responsibility.
Destination next
The SAD is eying to expand its wing in other states after attaining victory at all four seats it is contesting in Delhi polls.“SAD is set to emerge on the national scene with the party deciding to field its own candidates in forthcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Uttarakhand,” said Sukhbir while addressing the workers after the meeting attended by a large number of party’s women wing members.
Clean sweep
Enthused with past success, the Akali Dal is aiming at clean sweep. “The party is geared up to win all four seats from where we have fielded our candidates in the Delhi polls,” Sukhbir said. Sukhbir urged the party rank and file to work collectively to ensure victory for not only SAD candidates but also work for the victory of BJP candidates in constituencies having a Punjabi population.