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Ex-MP Chandumajra shifts base to Ghanaur segment for assembly polls
Though SAD has not made formal announcement on his candidature, the leader holding meetings in the constituency
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) general secretary and former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra has shifted his base to the Ghanaur constituency ahead of the 2022 Punjab assembly elections.
Even as the party has not made any formal announcement on his candidature, the veteran leader has been holding meetings in the segment.
He was first elected as MLA from Dakala (now Sanaur) in 1985 by defeating Congress heavyweight Lal Singh and became a minister. Ever since, he has been changing assembly segments. Besides Dakala (1985), Chandumajra contested the assembly polls from Lehra (2007) and Sirhind (2012). He never contested the assembly polls from the same seat.
Also, he remained MP from Patiala (1996, 1998) and Anandpur Sahib (2014) but contested unsuccessfully from Patiala (1999) and Anandpur Sahib (2019).
Ghanaur is considered a tough seat for SAD, as Congress MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur secured a massive lead of more than 30,000 in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections for the party.
Chandumajra remained MP from Patiala by defeating Sant Ram Singla in 1996 and Congress heavyweight Captain Amarinder Singh in 1998. He lost in the 1999 parliamentary polls, when Preneet Kaur (Congress) defeated him as he was candidate of splinter Akali Dal — Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal led by Gurcharan Singh Tohra. He didn’t contest polls in 2004 and formed his own splinter group SAD (Longowal), which he merged with SAD in 2007. In 2007, he contested from Lehra, while in 2012 he was in the fray from Sirhind for assembly elections, but lost in both.
His son Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra was elected MLA from Sanaur in 2017.
Chandumajra said that he has contested from tough seats on his party’s directive. “I have defeated heavyweights like Amarinder Singh and Ambika Soni and will win in the 2022 assembly elections too,” he said.
