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Punjab elections: Former bureaucrats battle it out in Ludhiana’s Gill constituency
While it is the second election for Congress MLA Kuldeep Singh Vaid, BJP’s SR Ladher, a 1991-batch IAS officer, is making his debut in Punjab politics
Gill reserved assembly constituency in Ludhiana district is one of the largest and the most densely populated segments of Punjab and this time it is seeing a keen contest between two former bureaucrats. While it is the second election for Congress MLA Kuldeep Singh Vaid, a1992-batch Punjab Civil Service officer who was promoted to the Indian Administrative Service in 2007, he is pitted against BJP’s SR Ladher, a 1991-batch IAS officer, who is making his debut in electoral politics.
With 124 villages and 103 colonies along the state highway, Gill constituency has 2.6 lakh voters from varied strata of society who form 10% of the total voters in Ludhiana district. The constituency is home to posh colonies such as South City and Janpath and slums besides villages.
Panchayats assured of early fund disbursal
Both Vaid and Ladher have been campaigning extensively and their speeches at gatherings speak of how well versed they are with the way the government machinery works.
“When you are in service, there are certain restrictions. It is actually the MLAs who can work purely and honestly for the welfare of the people,” says Vaid, who is a man in a hurry as he covers one village after the other, addressing gatherings.
“I can assure you that the panchayats facing problems will get funds in time. I’m aware of what has been done in the past and what works are pending. With me around, there will be no delay. You have seen my work in five years,” he tells residents of Alamgir village.
A commerce and law graduate from Panjab University, Vaid was once the deputy commissioner of Moga and a member of the Committee on Public Accounts and House Committee of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
Retaining the seat he won in 2017, is not an easy task this time as his BJP rival is giving him a tough fight.
Banking on bureaucratic image
Attired in a formal suit like a bureaucrat that he once was, Ladher tries to strike a chord with the voters by recalling his childhood when he had to travel to another village to go to school in Banga. “There were no proper roads, the lanes were narrow and it was only when I reached Class 6 that I began learning the English alphabet,” he says, lamenting the condition of government schools and lack of infrastructure in the state.
Ladher makes no bones in declaring that his rival “is only a promotee IAS”, while he was directly selected to the elite service after clearing the civil services exams conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. “The UPSC is the toughest exam. There is a huge difference between those who work hard to crack it and those who get promoted,” he says, referring to Vaid without naming him.
‘Not easy to break class ceiling’
Ladher calls himself fortunate on getting the Punjab cadre. Having studied from Thapar College of Engineering, Patiala, and Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Ladher, who retired in 2019, recalls instances when he was transferred at the behest of ‘those in power’ as he refused to bow to their demands.
While campaigning door to door, he tells people that his only aim is to work for their benefit. “Please press the lotus button this time as I am one among you and have toiled hard to reach here. It is not easy for a person from a humble background to break the class ceiling. I assure development for all,” he tells voters at Bagga Kalan.
