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Sultanpur Lodhi: SAD, AAP eye electoral gains amid rift in Congress
Sultanpur Lodhi, a historical town and Sikh pilgrimage where Guru Nanak spent 14 years, is today witnessing allegations and counter-allegations over drug trade and corruption
With cabinet minister Rana Gurjit Singh’s son Rana Inder Pratap Singh raising a banner of revolt and entering the poll fray against sitting Congress MLA and candidate Navtej Singh Cheema, both Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are fancying their chances to claim Sultanpur Lodhi assembly segment in Kapurthala.
In 2012, Navtej Singh had breached the traditional Akali bastion defeating three-time MLA Upinderjit Kaur. Trusting him to win the seat for the third time, the Congress has again fielded him for the Punjab assembly elections scheduled on February 20, leading to revolt by Inder Pratap, which has changed the poll equations.
The historical town and Sikh pilgrimage, where Guru Nanak spent 14 years, is today witnessing allegations and counter-allegations over drug trade and corruption. Even as ₹5-crore wheat scam rocked the segment last year, the Congress is pinning its hopes on ₹600 crore spent on various developmental projects during Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary celebrations in 2019.
Rana Gurjit, who has announced to leave politics if his son gets fewer votes than Navtej Singh, is known for his political prowess in penetrating into his opponents’ strongholds, a skill on display by Inder Pratap too. However, fighting as an Independent, Inder Pratap also faces a stiff challenge from SAD candidate Capt Harminder Singh, who belongs to Kamboj community that has a significant presence in the segment.
In this multi-cornered contest, the AAP is betting on former cop and basketball player Sajjan Singh Cheema, who is making the appeal for “Ik Mauka” (one chance) to his party. While there is no clear wave in favour of either of them, all four top contenders are mainly focusing on village-level or “nukkad” meetings apart from door-to-door campaigning.
What candidates say
According to MLA Navtej Singh Cheema, he has ensured “record development” in the past five years, because of which his opponents are targeting him with “baseless allegations”. “We have brought road and smart city projects besides successfully conducting Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary. Rana Inder Pratap Singh is no longer in the fight, and is mainly relying on false propaganda with his money power,” he says.
Meanwhile, Inder Pratap says he came to Sultanpur Lodhi to end the “mafia rule” of the Congress MLA, who he alleges got innocent people framed in false criminal cases. “Navtej Cheema’s security deposit will be fortified,” he adds, while listing out his poll promises: “I will provide clean water and health facilities through my personal expenses, launch crop diversification programme by introducing three to four crops in the coming five years and create a marketing system to sell the produce in other states.”
According to Captain Harminder Singh, he is in a direct fight with the AAP’s Sajjan Singh, while Navtej Singh and Inder Pratap are running for the third or fourth place. Making allegations similar to those made by Inder Pratap, the SAD candidate says: “In the past five years, people were brutally looted due to corruption in the civil and police administration at the behest of the Congress MLA. I will provide a clean administration besides health and education facilities.”
Meanwhile, Sajjan Singh promises “Delhi model”, which includes “best quality” education and health facilities in Sultanpur Lodhi. Accusing his opponents of flexing their muscle and money power, he says: “People have decided to uproot the traditional parties and give a chance to the AAP.”
