Mohali: Dera Bassi candidates have an edge in terms of educational qualification

While Dera Bassi has the notorious distinction of having the most candidates with criminal cases, it also has something to take pride in – the educational qualification of the candidates in fray for the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab.

While Dera Bassi has the notorious distinction of having the most candidates with criminal cases, it also has something to take pride in – the educational qualification of the candidates in fray for the upcoming assembly elections.

In Mohali, there are three assembly seats-- Kharar, Dera Bassi and Mohali. Of the three assembly seats in Mohali district, Dera Bassi is the only one where four out of the five candidates fielded by main political parties have an educational qualification of graduation or above. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Dera Bassi

Of the three assembly seats in Mohali district, Dera Bassi is the only one where four out of the five candidates fielded by main political parties have an educational qualification of graduation or above. The graduates on this seat include Kuljeet Singh Randhawa of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), NK Sharma of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) who has a science degree from Panjab University (PU), Navjot Singh Saini of Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) who has completed his graduation and is currently pursuing law from PU, and Congress candidate Deepinder Singh Dhillon, a law graduate. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sanjeev Khanna has studied till the intermediate-level (Class-12).

Mohali

In Mohali assembly seat, former mayor Kulwant Singh, who has studied only till Class-10, is the least qualified candidate across all seats. After him come former Punjab health minister and Congress candidate Balbir Singh Sidhu and SAD candidate Parvinder Singh Sohana who have studied till the intermediate-level.

They are up against BJP’s Sanjeev Vashisht, a B.Tech degree-holder from Bangalore, and SSM candidate Ravneet Singh Brar, who has completed MBA from Amity University.

Kharar

In the Kharar assembly seat, SAD candidate Ranjit Singh Gill, Congress candidate Vijay Kumar Sharma, Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) candidate Kamaldeep Saini are graduates, while AAP candidate Anmol Gagan Mann and SSM candidate Paramdeep Singh Baidwan have studied till Class-12.

So does educational qualification matter?

Three-time MLA and former cabinet minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, who mentioned in his affidavit that he has studied till the second year of Bachelor of Arts, says that it the political experience that counts. “I could not complete my graduation due to some personal reasons. But what I lack in terms of education, I make up for it with my vast political experience. I have been an MLA for the last 15 years and worked for the development of the city,” he says.

BJP candidate Sanjeev Vashisht, a B.Tech holder, begs to differ. “To bring qualitative improvement in the working of the system, there is a need to have qualified candidates. I have decided to contest elections to improve my city as it faces several issues.”

Balwinder Singh, a sarpanch of Lakhnaur village, says, “Education is important but many of these leaders can beat even the most-qualified persons with their vast political experience.”