Behind every successful man, there is a woman, and politicians are no exception. But Harsimrat Kaur Badal seems to be a step ahead of her Deputy Chief Minister husband Sukhbir Badal in run-up to 2014 parliamentary polls.
The Bathinda MP emerged out of the shadows of the ruling Badal family in Punjab to assume the mantle of a leader with her own identity
From making her presence felt in the hoardings and posters in Punjab, to emergence in sangat darshans and making statements specific to the state in lok Sabha, Harsimrat Badal is everywhere.
For her, the distance from Delhi has only increased with the lok Sabha elections drawing near.
leaving behind the role of a parliamentarian, she has donned the garb of a campaigner to help the Badals emerge victorious.
Attribute it to her political zeal or an attempt to put to rest all speculations about her candidature from Bathinda, Harsimrat Badal’s dominating presence in her constituency can be felt round the clock.
Her predominance assumes significance as her candidature from Bathinda was a matter of surmises and conjectures as both the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy son Sukhbir were maintaining strategic silence over her candidature from Bathinda.
At a few instances, the Senior Badal has given indications in this direction, that followed Sukhbir’s silence.
Notwithstanding, the Badals have acknowledged Harsimrat’s strength in ensuring party’s victory in their own citadel — Bathinda.
Harsimrat’s constant attendance in State’s politics in general and in her Assembly segment in particular has cleared the air at least about her contesting the 2014 lok Sabha elections from Bathinda.
The local MP, since past month, has become active holding a series of sangat darshan (public meetings) programme across her constituency, either with her father-in-law or her husband. She ensured her presence in sangat darshans here at the time when the Parliament was in session in New
Delhi too.
Preparing well before the final battle, not only the Badals, but the entire Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is promoting her for re-election in the forthcoming general elections — by showering heaps of praises on her during public gatherings, mentioning or crediting her for almost every project in her constituency, and what not.
Starting from inauguration of thermal plant in Mansa recently, the stage of the World Cup Kabaddi was also used for lauding her efforts, with inauguration of many big projects and events lined up to cast Harsimrat favourably among the electorate of her constituency.
The state’s public relation department, headed by her brother Bikram Majithia, make sure that they did not miss on her pictures along with Badal father-son duo. Besides, her attacking statement on each and every issue, pertaining the state or the Sikh community, has become must.
Sample this: During the inaugural function of Talwandi Sabo thermal plant, all six legislators of Bathinda district, in their address, highlighted SAD policies and programmes initiated by Harsimrat, and forget to say much on the thermal plant that took the State towards becoming “power
surplus”.
One more! Badal and the state Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka used the inauguration of an educational institute as political platform to seek votes for Harsimrat in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Sources within the SAD has informed The Pioneer that the party has already engaged the services of reputed firm to prepare the publicity campaign for the Bathinda MP.
It has been learnt that the party is taking no chance and acting on the speculations of former chief minister and senior Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh contesting Bathinda seat, or the possibility of Badal’s estranged
nephew Manpreet Singh Badal jumping in the electoral arena against her sister-in-law in case of his party — the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) — coming in league with the Congress.
“Though Harsimrat is a strong candidate from Bathinda, and SAD-BJP combine’s win is certain there, but we are in no mood to rest and working to ensure her victory from record margin.
Her campaign has already started and will gain momentum as the election time advances,” a senior SAD leader said.
While Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa has maintained that Captain Amarinder Singh is the strongest bet against Harsimrat, the political circles in the State were agog that Manpreet is likely to be fielded against his sister-in-law.
During 2009 lok Sabha elections, Harsimrat defeated the first-timer Raninder Singh, son of Captain Amarinder Singh and Union Minister Preneet Kaur, by 11,000 votes.