Punjab MLA report card: Ashwani Sekhri from Batala, Des Raj Dhugga from Sri Hargobindpur - Hindustan Times
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Punjab MLA report card: Ashwani Sekhri from Batala, Des Raj Dhugga from Sri Hargobindpur

Hindustan Times | ByHarkirat Singh and Aseem Bassi
Oct 23, 2016 01:02 PM IST

Hindustan Times takes stock of MLA and how they fared:

Ashwani Sekhri, 57, Congress

Constituency: Batala

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Education: Law graduate

Assets declared in last polls: Rs 6.7 cr

Electoral record

2012: Defeated SAD’s Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal by 18,885 votes

2007: Lost to BJP’s Jagdish Sahni by a margin of 86 votes

Assembly record:

Questions asked: 33

Call attention moved: 1

Power punch Prominent Hindu face in state Cong, has strong family legacy

What next Despite local unit’s opposition, he is likely to get ticket

How he performed

Though he claims that he has got major projects sanctioned from the previous UPA regime at the Centre, none of these has got off the ground in the constituency. These include a 600-MW thermal power plant for Batala; development in slum areas, and housing for the poor under Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojana. For the projects staying on paper, he blames the state’s non-release of funds. He remained at loggerheads with his party colleagues opposed to him for most part of his tenure. He invited criticism for supporting the BJP in the Batala municipal council. He also invited the ire of his fellow MLAs from the district for not taking part in agitations against the state government. He was also criticised for not being available in Batala.

By the way Strict about his morning walk

Voterspeak

“There is a dire need of cleaning up the town but the MLA failed. He had the right connections in the UPA regime but failed to bring new industry,” Ashwani Kansra, 48, college lecturer, said.

“He paid no heed to security of women. He also failed to get the bus stand shifted, and it continues to be a traffic hazard. In the assembly, he did not raise Batala’s issues actively,” Jagwinder Kaur, 45, teacher, said.

Des Raj Dhugga, 53, SAD

Constituency: Sri Hargobindpur (SC-Reserved)

Education: Class 10

Assets declared in last polls: Rs 1 cr

Electoral record

2012: Defeated Balwinder Singh Laddi of Congress by 7,437 votes

2007: He won from Garhdiwala; this seat was won by SAD’s Balbir S Bath

Assembly record

Questions asked: 0

Call attention moved: 0

Power punch Three-time MLA, he is close to CM Parkash Singh Badal

What next No challenge from within party; likely to get ticket

How he performed

He managed to get the first government college for his constituency. Earlier, students had to travel around 30km to Batala for higher education. He also got 15 government schools upgraded. There were also projects of village connectivity by repair of link roads. Dhugga did distribute grants to sarpanches but failed to monitor the further distribution. Also, Congress sarpanches were ignored in this distribution. To shun the label of outsider, he purchased a house in Sri Hargobindpur and remained available to the voters. However, the two main towns of the area — Sri Hargobindpur and Ghoman — are still to witness any major project or even general uplift in infrastructure, particularly the roads.

Voterspeak

“He failed to meet a key demand of farmers — grain market in Ghoman. Though he gave grants to villages, he did not ensure proper monitoring,” Gurslamat Singh Aulakh, 68, farmer, retd govt employee, said.

“A government college was a major demand which the MLA pursued and succeeded in fulfilling. He also ensured better village connectivity by getting link roads repaired,” Sardool Singh, 73, educationist, said.

Tomorrow: Fatehgarh churian, Dera Baba Nanak, Ajnala, and Rajasansi

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