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What’s in a nickname: Channi, Bittu, Rinku strike chord with Punjab voters
The diminutives are not only easy to recall but also help coin catchy phrases to connect, such as Bittu te Raja gappi, jittuga sadda Pappi (BJP’s Ravneet Bittu and Congress’ Amrinder Singh Raja Warring are braggers, AAP’s Ashok Parashar Pappi will win) in Ludhiana
They may have made their names in politics but it is their nicknames that stand out for them in the high-stake Punjab Lok Sabha elections.
Channi, Bittu, Tinu, Kaka, Pappi, Sherry, Raja, Rinku and Meet are nicknames of some of the contestants in the fray for the June 1 general election in the state.
The diminutives are not only easy to recall but also help coin catchy phrases to connect with people.
Congress candidate Charanjit Singh Channi is contesting from the Jalandhar reserve parliamentary constituency and is pitted against BJP’s Sushil Kumar Rinku, AAP’s Pawan Kumar Tinu and SAD’s Mohinder Singh Kaypee.
Channi’s poll campaign carries the slogan, “Jalandhar shahr, Channi di lehar (Jalandhar city, Channi’s wave)”. The former Punjab chief minister unsuccessfully contested from the Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur seats in the 2022 assembly elections.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring is contesting from the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency. “Tuhada Raja tuhade sang (Your Raja is with you)”, says a slogan of one of his campaigns. Warring is an MLA from Gidderbaha assembly seat in Muktsar district.
Aam Aadmi Party nominee Pawan Kumar Tinu is fighting from Jalandhar. One of his supporters writes in the comment section of Tinu’s Facebook post, “Saada Tinu, Jalandhar da Tinu (Our Tinu is Jalandhar’s Tinu)”.
The AAP has named local MLA Ashok Parashar Pappi from the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency. His supporters have coined a slogan, “Bittu te Raja gappi, jittuga sadda Pappi (BJP’s Ravneet Bittu and Congress’ Amrinder Singh Raja Warring are braggers, Pappi will win)”. Pappi is pitted against Bittu and Warring from Ludhiana.
A minister and AAP candidate Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer is contesting from the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency, which is considered the Arvind Kejriwal-led party’s stronghold. Hayer shared in a Facebook post that a ‘Meet Anthem’ song will soon be released.
One of his followers wrote, “Jittega Meet, jittega Sangrur (Meet will win, Sangrur will win)”.
Three-time MP and BJP nominee Ravneet Singh Bittu is contesting from the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency. One of his Instagram posts says, “Bittu de naal, saara Ludhiana khushaal (With Bittu, the entire Ludhiana is prosperous)”. Another Instagram post says, “Saara Ludhiana hi Bittu da ghar hai (Entire Ludhiana is Bittu’s home)”.
Bittu, the grandson of late chief minister Beant Singh, joined the BJP after quitting the Congress in March.
During one of the Jalandhar BJP candidate’s poll campaigns, it was written on a poster, “Saade aalla Rinku (Our own Rinku)”.
Ferozepur AAP candidate Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar’s hashtag on Facebook reads, “Kaka Brar for Ferozepur”.
Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi is the AAP nominee from Gurdaspur constituency and is popularly known by his nickname.
