Over two decades after jumping into the political arena, Congress leader Sunil Jakhar has finally got the Parliament berth by emerging victorious in the Gurdaspur bypoll on Sunday.
With the win, Jakhar not only break the jinx of his defeats he faced in the previous two polls, but also that of entering the central politics - just like his father, Balram Jakhar.
Jakhar’s first electoral test, way back in 1996, in Ferozepur was a let-down. Eighteen years after, the result was the same - he lost 2014 lok Sabha polls from Ferozepur.
But by winning the bye-election on Sunday with the highest-ever margin in the constituency, Jakhar sent across a message that he was no less than his father, who was a power to reckon with not only in the Congress party, but also in the Central politics.
Balram Jakhar was known for his two successive terms as the lok Sabha Speaker from 1980 to 1989. Besides, he had served as the Union Agriculture Minister from 1991-96, and Madhya Pradesh Governor from 2004 to 2009.
Jakhar has made a name for himself in the Congress and among the masses for his uprightness and honest politics - rising within the party ranks step-by-step.
Currently, the Congress’ State unit president, Jakhar has been the three-time legislator from his home constituency - Abohar - in 2002, 2007, and 2012. He had also led the party MlAs in the Vidhan Sabha as the leader of Opposition - the position his father held in 1977.
Even as the Congress made a comeback in Punjab after a decade, Jakhar lost to a greenhorn in his bastion. Facing two consecutive defeats, Jakhar has now made a resounding comeback finally reaching where he aimed to be.
“He started from Ferozepur lok Sabha seat in 1996 after his father decided not to contest elections. But he lost. Then he happened to get party ticket from Abohar in 2002 in place of his brother, and won polls, followed by his victory in 2007 and also in 2012. He wanted to be in central politics just like his father, but the destiny has some other plans for him,” one of his close aides once told The Pioneer.
Jakhar’s aide had maintained that he was really interested in contesting from Ferozepur in 2014, but that too ended with a defeat.
But on Sunday, Jakhar scripted a massive win for the Congress by defeating his nearest rival — the SAD-BJP candidate Swaran Salaria by nearly two lakh votes.
Jakhar bagged 4,99,752 votes, while Salaria got 3,65,033 votes and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Major General (retd) Suresh Kumar Khajuria finishing third with just 23,579 votes - losing his security deposit.
Jakhar, after his win, maintained that this would lead to the revival of the Congress. “This will change the trend in entire country,” he added.
Getting into work-mode hours after his win, Jakhar said that he would prominently raise the issue of Centre’s discrimination with Punjab.
Jakhar, assuring to fulfil every single promise he made during his campaign, pointed that separate assembly segments in the constituency have different problems.
“We will make improvements in all areas...first we will enhance the skill training centres, besides the sugar mills’ existing capacity by adding more,” he Said while adding, “We will now play with the T-20 speed”.