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It’s anybody’s game in Amritsar as Aujla eyes hat-trick
Sitting MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla is facing BJP nominee Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Punjab cabinet minister and AAP candidate Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) nominee Anil Joshi.
Eying a hat-trick, Congress candidate and sitting MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the third time, is looking at an uphill battle against determined opponents. The quadrangular fight on the seat makes it a contest to watch out for.
Aujla, who won in 2017 (bypoll) and 2019, is up against BJP nominee former ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Punjab cabinet minister and AAP candidate Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) nominee Anil Joshi.
There are a total of nine assembly segments in this constituency. Of them, eight are represented by AAP in the assembly. One, Majitha, is represented by the SAD. Five segments—Amritsar Central, Amritsar North, Amritsar South, Amritsar East, Amritsar West—fall in the main city. Ajnala, Rajasansi, Attari and Majitha are in the rural belt.
The observers are predicting a close contest as all four contestants are big faces in their own right.
Aujla has a firm grip on the segment
Aujla has won from here twice, once in the 2017 LS bypoll when sitting MP Capt Amarinder Singh resigned to become chief minister of the state. Capt Amarinder had defeated BJP heavyweight Arun Jaitley in the 2014 parliamentary polls. Aujla again won in 2019, when the Congress government was in the state, and despite a saffron party wave in the country. He defeated SAD-BJP combined candidate Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
Despite the AAP being at the helm in Punjab, he is still being seen as the strongest candidate in the contest. Congress holds sway in urban and rural areas, and it may well turn out to be a crucial factor in Aujla’s favour. In an individual capacity as well, Aujla is seen as someone who is equally acceptable in urban and rural areas. His biggest challenge apart from his opponents will be to keep the flock together. Lack of support from many halqa in-charges of Congress has been a big issue but on the nomination day, Congress did manage to put up a united front. To woo the voters, he lists his achievements during his two MP terms, besides exhorting the people to defeat Modi.
Sandhu banks on family legacy
The grandson of historic Sikh leader Teja Singh Samundri, Sandhu is new to the Amritsar people but has been working tirelessly to establish a link with the people of all walks of life. Emphasising his family’s legacy and his roots in Amritsar, he is trying to strike an emotional chord with the voters. His father Bishan Singh Samundri was the vice-chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University while his mother Jagjit Kaur Sandhu was the principal of the Government College for Women. His biggest hurdle is the lack of support for BJP in the rural belt. With a considerable section of the Sikhs in general against the Hindutva ideology of the saffron party, Sandhu, despite his panthic background, may struggle to find support. In villages, BJP rallies start with the performance of Dhadi Jathas (traditional Sikh balled singers) on the pattern of SAD, while the campaign starts with ‘Jai Sri Ram’ slogans in urban areas. In the campaign, Sandhu is being projected as one of the intelligent candidates of India with direct access to the Prime Minister, which is required to get big development projects for Amritsar. “Only I can bring schemes from the government. Others are incapable”, Sandhu said while addressing a rally at village Ballarwal, giving an example of solving a big problem of border belt overnight by ensuring nod to shifting of barbed security fence toward the zero line.
Dhaliwal banks on AAP’s 2-year performance
AAP candidate and cabinet minister Dhaliwal, who represents the Ajnala segment, is struggling to gain traction in the constituency. He is propagating his and the state governments’ two-year report card. He gives short speeches in the poll meetings, promising the voters to raise the issues of Amritsar and Punjab in the parliament after being elected.
‘Lotus’ or ‘Takri’: Joshi fights perception battle
Joshi is listing his achievements during his tenure as minister in the SAD-BJP government and his stint as MLA. On the hoardings and banners, he is mentioned as ‘Vikas Purash’. As he remained as BJP MLA (Amritsar north) and minister for 10 years, a section of BJP workers still have a soft corner for him. He is confident to get votes from the rural belt where the SAD has a base. In urban, his party believe that the Hindu population will support the Hindu face.
However, Joshi is fighting a perception battle and is very conscious about the election symbol. He is often heard exhorting the voters not to get confused between ‘Lotus’ and ‘Takri’. In rural areas, he tries to woo the people by saying that he left the saffron party for the concerns of farmers.
