Punjab MLA report card: Babbu in Sujanpur and Seema in Bhoa
Hindustan Times takes stock of the MLAs and their performance in this 30-part series:
Hindustan Times takes stock of the MLAs and their performance in a month-long series.
Dinesh Singh Babbu, 54, BJP
Constituency: Sujanpur
Education: Up to BA second year
Assets declared in last polls: Rs 3.7 crore
Electoral record
2012: Defeated Independent candidate Naresh Puri by 23,096 votes
2007: Defeated Congress candidate Raghunath Sahai Puri by 328 votes
Assembly record: Deputy speaker
How he performed: Eyeing a hat-trick, he has a good rapport with the electorate. Though he could not bring in any mega project, he is happy with support of the state government that helped him projects such as water pumps for the backward Dhar block, a government college that is being built, and an ITI. A Rajput, Babbu has maintained a balanced equation with other communities too. He keeps a low profile, avoiding media glare. A farmer himself, Babbu keeps in constant touch with the farming community of his area. However, despite his seniority that also made him deputy speaker of the Vidhan Sabha, the constituency, which has remained backward for decades, still lacks basic education and health facilities in many pockets.
MLA-speak: I am satisfied with the work I have done. Next, a Krishi Vigyan Kendra is going to be brought here for the farmers.
Voter-speak
Sujanpur is surrounded by rivers, so the tourism potential is abundant and needs to be tapped. But our MLA could not see that. - Rajesh Pushkarna, 52, owns a pharmaceuticals firm
Our villages lack facilities such as garbage dumps. Farmers need to be educated against stubble burning. We also need playgrounds. - Manav Arora, 22, engineering student
---------------------
Seema Kumari, 38, BJPConstituency: Bhoa (SC-Reserved)
Education: Under-matric
Assets declared in last polls: Rs 3.7 crore
Electoral record
2012: Defeated Balbir Ram of Cong by 12,148 votes; was youngest woman MLA at 33
2007: She didn’t contest poll; this segment did not exist; came up after delimitation
Assembly record: Questions asked: 18; Call attention moved: 0
By the way: Humble and homely, she fond of cooking
How she performed: Representing a backward, border-area constituency, she was instrumental in getting three pontoon bridges sanctioned to connect with villages across the Ravi and Chakki rivers. Got a number of link roads to villages repaired. Also got schools upgraded. Though she was unable to get a major project, she has gained support due to her accessibility. Despite her efforts as a first-time MLA, her constituency still lacks health and education facilities. Recent infiltration bids and other tensions from across the border have made the area vulnerable as far as security is concerned. Through the state government, she could have laid stress on upgrading the security network in villages along the border with Pakistan, observers feel.
MLA-speak: I am satisfied, but could have done more for the backward area. I tried to improve education by upgrading schools.
Voter-speak
Promises are made for border areas whenever there are elections; then forgotten. That happened again. The MLA knows everything but is mum. - Surinder Mohan Gupta, 59, cloth merchant
Bhoa was a backward constituency, and things remain the same under the current MLA. Drinking water and health facilities are a mess. - Yashpal Verma, 52, runs a furniture business