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Congress faces daunting task as it tries to retain Rai Sikh-dominated Fazilka
Congress faces a daunting task as it looks to retain the Rai Sikh-dominated Fazilka assembly constituency where it confronts the twin challenges of BJP and AAP’s growing popularity
The Congress faces a daunting task as it looks to retain the Rai Sikh-dominated Fazilka assembly constituency where it confronts the twin challenges of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) growing popularity, particularly in border villages.
The constituency is currently with Congress’ Davinder Singh Ghubaya, who had wrested it from saffron party’s Surjit Kumar Jyani in 2017 after 10 years. However, this time, AAP candidate Narinder Pal Singh Sawna, who joined the party after quitting SAD, is giving a tough challenge to them.
The seat is set to witness a fierce triangular electoral battle between the sitting Congress MLA and candidates of the BJP and AAP. Fazilka is largely a rural constituency and has over 100 villages. Most of them are close to the Pakistan border. AAP, which ended at fourth position with 16,000 votes in 2017, has gained significant support in the region.
The caste composition may hold the electoral key in the assembly constituency. Fazilka has nearly 40% electors from Rai Sikh, the single largest community in the segment. Both Ghubaya and Sawna, who are Rai Sikh, are eyeing electoral support from their community. Ghubaya, who was elected as the youngest MLA at 25 in 2017, is banking on his performance and clout of his father Sher Singh Ghubaya, former SAD MP from Ferozepur, whereas Sawna is seeking votes on party’s “One chance to AAP” appeal along with raking up drugs issue.
“Drugs is a big issue in Fazilka and smugglers have the support of MLA. Vote for AAP and I promise within days after forming the government we will make the constituency drug-free and put all the people involved in this trade behind bars,” Sawna said.
BJP’s three-time MLA Jyani, who has been always in the contest for the past five elections, is eyeing to bounce back banking on achievements of the Modi-led BJP government at the Centre. Jyani is also known as an ardent follower of the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda, which has significant followers in the segment. He was also a key face supporting the Union government over the contentious farm laws in the state and faced the ire of the farmers.
“All three candidates of the other parties are turncoats. They are just opportunists. During my tenure, I fulfilled all promises, but the Congress has done nothing,” Jyani said.
SAD has given the ticket to two-time MLA from Jalalabad Hans Raj Josan, who was earlier with the Congress.
The constituency witnessed an interesting poll battle in the last two elections with a gangster-turned-politician and his sister giving a tough fight to party candidates. In 2012, Jaswinder Singh Rocky, who was involved in organised crimes, contested as an independent and lost by a thin margin of 1,600 votes to Jyani. After being shot dead in inter-gang rivalry in 2016, Rocky’s sister Rajdeep Kaur contested as an independent in 2017 and finished third with 38,135 votes. Rajdeep, who had joined the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC), said she has decided not to contest elections and has no association with the PLC anymore. “I will not support any candidate, I have also told my supporters to vote for any candidate they like,” she said. With Rajdeep being out of the scene, the electoral dynamics are unpredicted.
