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Facing formidable opponent, Kohli puts on a brave face
If Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Surjit Singh Kohli — who is up against the Punjab Congress’ biggest name in the assembly elections — is nervous, he is not showing it.
If Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Surjit Singh Kohli — who is up against the Punjab Congress’ biggest name in the assembly elections — is nervous, he is not showing it.
Former minister Kohli, who filed his papers as the SAD candidate against state Congress president Captain Amarinader Singh from Patiala Urban, told his supporters he would defeat the Congress leader this time.
“Things have changed now. Patialivis are fed up with Captain, who has shifted his base from Patiala to Chandigarh and to some hilly areas in Himachal,” Kohli said.
“Captain failed as MLA, whereas despite being defeated I am serving you at your doorsteps. So defeat Captain to teach him a lesson,” he said.
He said he was “serving” the city since 1964, and promised “all round development” to Patiala if elected.
The seat was a SAD stronghold earlier and Kohli in 1997 was elected from here to become a minister in the Parkash Singh Badal government (1997-2002).
That was before Amarinder started contesting from here.
In the 2007 assembly polls, the state Congress president defeated Kohli by a margin of nearly 25,000 votes.
