For the past one month, campaigning for the high-octane assembly election kept the candidates busy in Punjab. But with the hectic schedule during the electioneering coming to an end on Thursday and their fate now in the hands of the electorate, the candidates sought blessings from the almighty at the Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh Shrine in Amritsar.
Ahead of the polling day on Saturday, Deputy Chief Minister Sukbir Singh Badal reached Sri Harmandir Sahib to seek divine blessings for recording a third consecutive victory in the polls and to decimate the opponents.
The prestige of a number of prominent political families is at stake in the assembly polls, the results of which will be declared on March 11.
In a triangular electoral contest this time in his bastion, Sukhbir is facing Aam Aadmi Party stalwart and sitting MP Bhagwant Mann and Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu while his father and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is also locked in a fierce contest at his citadel, lambi, from where Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh and AAP’s Jarnail Singh are giving him a tough fight.
As the month-long high decibel campaign launched by various political parties drew to a close on Thursday evening, party candidates cutting across the party lines and even religion were seen queuing up at the Golden temple in the past 24 hours.
Prominent among those who were seen lined up with other devotees early morning at Golden Temple included SAD’s Gurpartap Singh Tikka (Amritsar south), BJP’s Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina (Amritsar lok Sabha bypoll), BJP candidates Tarun Chugh (Amritsar central), Rakesh Gill (Amritsar west), Rajesh Honey (Amritsar east), Anil Joshi (Amritsar north).
The Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) which sees a steady stream of over thousands pilgrims everyday, witnessed a line up of heavyweight leaders during the entire last month following the announcement of assembly polls.
Offering obeisance in the sanctum sanctorum of Harmandir Sahib, the politicians were seen joining hands to pray and touching the holy water on their foreheads.
Cricketer turned politician and former BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has entered the poll fray on a Congress ticket from Amritsar (east) constituency, the seat represented in the outgoing assembly by his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu, had also paid obeisance at Golden Temple, before beginning his election campaigning.
While most of the party candidates contesting from Amritsar constituency seats are regular visitors, the party candidate in the fray from nearby constituencies also also offering prayers at Sikh Shrine for their victory in the assembly polls.
leaders thronging the Sikh Shrine in the past few days included SAD’s sitting MlA and Cabinet Minister Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon (Patti), SAD’s Sucha Singh langah ( Dera Baba Nanak), SAD’s Sewa Singh Sekhwan (Qadia), Congress’ Inderbir Singh Bolaria (Amritsar south), SAD’s Sitting MlA and Cabinet
Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike (Attari), SAD’s sitting SAD MlA Virsa Singh Valtoha, SAD’s Veer Singh lopoke (Raja Sansi), SAD’s Amarpal Singh Bonny from Ajnala constituency, Congress OP Soni among others.