Even as Punjab is witnessing a triangular electoral fight in the ensuing Assembly polls, the voters’ perception in 25 Assembly segments falling under State’s Majha region comprised largely of border districts is that it would be ‘brand Modi’ Vs ‘brand Amarinder’ in the region.
The poll battle is heating up in the region, which has border districts, including Amritsar, Pathankot, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran and will play a key role in deciding the winning prospects of political parties.
Even as the early indications for the Assembly polls seems to be tilting towards Congress, the SAD-BJP combine is leaving no stone unturned, often claiming credit for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bold step “surgical strike” on terror launch pads at loC last year.
PM Modi had also in a recent election rally in Punjab invoked threats from Pakistan to urge the voters to support the SAD-BJP alliance to provide a strong Government in the border State.
While the SAD-BJP also hopes to capitalise on the issue of development in the Majha belt, the Congress is all out to corner the ruling combine on the issues of drug abuse, unemployment, sacrilege incidents, farmers’ suicides, and even, accusing the ruling SAD-BJP for creating a warlike situation and evacuating the border villages following “surgical strikes”.
Riding high on the anti-incumbency factor, the Congress’ winning prospects in Majha has also been propelled with the entry of cricketer-turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu into the party fold. A star campaigner in Capt Amarinder’s team and party’s candidate from Amritsar (east) seat, former BJP leader Sidhu is now using his oratorical skills to woo the voters for Congress and rarely misses an opportunity to lash out at the Akali leadership in the State.
In Majha region, the drug menace is the key poll issue with the Congress and AAP continuing to target the SAD-BJP combine for its failure to curb the inflow of drugs into Punjab through the international border.
Even as PM Modi, at a recent election rally in Punjab, sought to downplay the illicit drug trade issue saying the Congress labelled youth of the State as drug addicts, the drug issue is likely to influence voters’ minds when they go for voting in the high-octane assembly election on February 4. Also, the SAD-BJP had to do a lot of explaining in the past two years on the alleged involvement of Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia in the drug trade.
Other factors dominating the campaign in Majha belt are unemployment and several instances of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs, which also triggered widespread protests in the region. Amritsar, being the religious Capital saw intense protests even as the politicisation of the issue did go down well with Akali’s traditional ‘panthic’ religious vote bank in the Majha region.
The Majha belt has 25 Assembly segments, including 11 in Amritsar, three in Pathankot, seven in Gurdaspur and four in Tarn Taran district. As per the protracted trend, the winning political party had always swept the Majha region in elections.
The ruling SAD-BJP alliance has managed to retain 16 seats, including 11 by SAD and five by BJP during assembly polls 2012 in Majha region while the Congress won 9 seats, registering a gain of six seats.
In 2007 assembly polls, the SAD-BJP had won 23 seats out of 26 in Majha and the Congress had faced an embarrassing defeat registering a victory on only three seats.
However, the political observers feels that the SAD-BJP after its two successive terms faces a tough challenge ahead, with the majority of voters from Majha seems to be rally behind ‘Punjab da Captain’ this time.
Much to the relief of both SAD-BJP and the Congress, the Aam Aadmi party, which is going strong in Malwa belt, has not been able to make inroads in Majha in absence of a prominent party leader in this region.
After the exit of prominent leader Sucha Singh Chhotepur from the AAP, the party is lagging behind in Majha, due to the lack of credible Sikh face there. Chhotepur, who has floated a separate political outfit, Apna Punjab Party (APP) and contesting from Gurdaspur assembly constituency is also likely to make a dent into the vote bank of AAP as he has a considerable influence in Majha.
SAD president and deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal had also recently conceded that the AAP is posing a considerable challenge in Malwa but has no base in Majha and Doaba region of Punjab.
In Majha poll battle, the political parties have fielded both old players and first timers this time. Bikram Singh Majithia is one of the most prominent candidates contesting from his incumbent assembly seat of Majitha, represented by him for two consecutive terms.
The AAP, which has threatened Majithia to put him behind bars after elections, has fielded prominent lawyer Himmat Singh Shergill from Majitha seat.
Congress’ star campaigner Navjot Singh Sidhu has entered the poll fray from Amritsar (east) constituency, the seat represented in the outgoing assembly by his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who had won on the BJP ticket in 2012.
Seeking a second term from Pathankot assembly seat, former Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma is taking on Congress nominee Amit Vij, and facing a tough time pacifying his rebels including Master Mohan lal. Another interesting electoral battle is seen in Batala where the comedian turned politician, Gurpreet Singh Waraich ‘Ghuggi’ is trying his luck on a AAP ticket from the assembly constituency against heavyweight opponents.
Other prominent players in the poll fray in Majha region includes sitting MlA Anil Joshi (BJP), sitting MlA Om Parkash Soni (Congress), sitting MlA and Cabinet Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike (SAD), sitting MlA and Cabinet Minister Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon (SAD).
Meanwhile, the rivalries within the Congress and the BJP would also be the deciding factor for top candidates in Majha belt, where a triumph for a political party would pave the way for Punjab Assembly.