Punjab: The decision of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) not to contest by-polls for four assembly constituencies has put the Congress in a fix. In the absence of SAD candidates, the party cadre vote, especially in Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak and Chabbewal assembly constituencies, will now look for candidates from other parties based on various combinations and combinations. Before the 2012 assembly elections, Gidderbaha was an Akali stronghold and Hardeep Singh Dimpy, who has recently joined AAP, had been nurturing the constituency since 2017 and unsuccessfully contested the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections but lost to Amarinder Raja Warring. Earlier, Manpreet Badal was an MLA on SAD ticket for four consecutive terms in 1995, 1997, 2002 and 2007. “With Manpreet joining the BJP, Dimpy joining the AAP and the Akalis not contesting the elections, the four-cornered contest has now become triangular. Major Akali cadre votes may now split among non-Congress parties. Internal reports suggest that Sukhbir Badal may go a step further to support his cousin for larger political interests,” said a senior Congress leader. PPCC chief and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Raja Warring has already said on record that the Akalis not contesting was part of a scripted story by the SAD and the BJP. It will soon come out. He said he has been saying since 2019 that the Badal cousins are united. However, the PPCC chief does not think that the Akalis helping Manpreet Badal will harm the Congress.
In Dera Baba Nanak, former Akali leader Ravi Kahlon (who has now moved to the BJP) and AAP candidate Gurdeep Singh Randhawa may dent the Akali votes. This has made the contest tough for Congress candidate Jatinder Kaur, wife of Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Randhawa. Otherwise, Dera Baba Nanak has been a Congress bastion since 2012. Congress leaders say the contest in the reserved Chabbewal assembly constituency has become tough as Congress leader-turned-AAP MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal is fielding his son Ishank as the AAP candidate. Former Akali minister Sohan Singh Thandal joining the AAP has added to Congress’s troubles. Congress candidate Ranjit Kumar (former BSP leader) is in a weak position due to opposition from Congress leader Kulwinder Singh Rasoolpur, who was working as the constituency in-charge.
