Campaign trail: Age, Covid no bar for SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal

The 94-year-old five-time former Punjab CM who left for the PGIMER for medical examination remained in touch with his close aides about the day’s election campaigning in Lambi

From old political associates in Haryana to technology-savvy gen-next of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), allies of India’s oldest electoral candidate Parkash Singh Badal are canvassing to ensure his record twelfth term as a legislator in Punjab.

Campaign trail: After recovering from Covid, the SAD patriarch revisited six villages this week and is regularly holding meetings with party supporters at his farmhouse in Badal village. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT)

The 94-year-old five-time former chief minister, who left for the PGIMER, Chandigarh, on Saturday for medical examination during the post-Covid-recovery period, remained in touch with his close aides about the day’s election campaigning.

The rural segment of Lambi, which he is representing uninterrupted for the last five terms since 1997, comprises 73 panchayats. The 11-time MLA Badal has campaigned in each of the villages since December 20 last year.

After recovering from the coronavirus infection, he revisited six villages this week and is regularly holding meetings with party supporters at his farmhouse at Badal village of Muktsar district. Interacting with people, he appeals for support for the SAD to protect Punjab and Punjabiyat from the people “with vested interest”. It is about to bring back “lokan di aapni sarkar” (people’s own government) and to pursue “lok sewa” (public welfare), he insists.

“Mein taan sirf sewadar haan (I am merely a servant for public good). I became CM on five occasions only because people mandated me to lead the government. Akali Dal is the only party of Punjab that has always stood to protect the rights of the underprivileged and farmers,” he told members of scheduled caste community at his farmhouse on Friday.

Sensing an urgency to revive the party after its worst electoral performance in 2017, Badal does not forget to mention its latest ally, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), to consolidate SC votes. In his addresses, he charges the Congress with poor governance and calls the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) a group of “non-serious individuals” managed by “outsiders”.

“Akali Dal da tuhadi apni party hai jithe sirf Punjab de lokan di hee gall hondi hai (Akali Dal is Punjab’s own party that works for the interest of Punjabis,” he said while campaigning at Lohara village this week.

Support from old allies

On Saturday, the 87-year-old former Haryana CM Om Prakash Chautala and prominent Dalit face from the adjoining Sirsa district Dr Sita Ram held election meetings at four villages of Lambi. In chaste Punjabi, Chautala told a gathering at Khumiara village that even outside Punjab, Badal is known as the custodian of agrarian community and communal harmony.

“Badal sa’ab is a leader of masses and the SAD should be elected to power for inclusive development and peace in the border state,” he added while highlighting the development projects initiated under the Akali patriarch’s leadership.

Social media push

Badal has no personal presence on social media, but the party is using his political aura on a verified Facebook page, “We Support Parkash Singh Badal”, to boost digital engagements of the SAD. Head of SAD’s IT team Nashattar Singh said the page is being used by the party to highlight the former CM’s persona and to boost the campaign of different leaders.

Party vice-president and Badal’s close aide Tejinder Singh Middukhera, who is overseeing electioneering in Lambi, is confident of an “easy victory”.

“Gurmeet Singh Khuddian remained halqa in-charge of the Congress for over four years before he left the party to become the AAP candidate. He owes a public explanation about his contribution to the development of Lambi during the Congress government. Badal made a huge contribution to developing civic infrastructure, not only in Lambi but the whole of Punjab,” he said.

Middhukhera said each of the 73 villages has 30-35 committed party volunteers who constantly remain in touch with their respective rural communities. Leaders like Badal can never retire as they are the choice of masses, he adds.

“Earlier also, electioneering in Lambi is always managed by a core team and Badal sa’ab remained active for canvassing in rest of the state. He always remains accessible to electors over the phone to redress problems. He himself remains engaged in inducting new entrants from the constituency to the partyfold,” added Badal’s trusted lieutenant.