Chandigarh, December 28
Popular comedian-turned-politician and People’s Party of Punjab’s vice- president Bhagwant Mann will contest against senior Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal from the Lehra constituency. Bhattal had defeated senior Akali leader Prem Singh Chandumjara by a margin of 270 votes in Lehra in the 2007 elections. This time Chandumajra is keen to contest from the Fatehgarh Sahib constituency, where he faces strong opposition from senior Akali leaders, including incumbent SAD legislator Didar Singh Bhatti.
The SAD is likely to field Sukhwant Singh Sarao, a former Additional Deputy Commissioner ( ADC), from Lehra this time. Sarao had recently resigned from service to join politics. He is a confidant of senior Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. The PPP leadership has decided to field its frontline leaders against important Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders as a part of its election strategy. The obvious objective is to keep senior leaders of main political parties confined to their respective constituencies. The PPP chief’s father Gurdas Singh Badal has been fielded against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in the Lambi constituency.
Mann said he had been approached by the people of Sunam and Maur “but I have opted for Lehra because my party leadership wants it so.” The PPP leadership had earlier allocated Lehra to the CPI, which is a part of the Sanjha Morcha headed by Manpreet Badal.
The CPI had announced Satwant Singh Khandewad as its candidate from Lehra. The PPP has decided to request the CPI leadership to leave the constituency for Mann in lieu of another constituency, say sources. Mann, known for his biting satire, has emerged as a forceful orator. He uses folk tales and the local idiom to touch the hearts of the people.
PPP Strategy
n The PPP leadership has decided to field its frontline leaders against important Congress and SAD leaders
n The objective is to keep senior leaders of main political parties confined to their constituencies
n The PPP leadership had earlier allocated Lehra to the CPI that had announced the candidature of Satwant Singh Khandewad
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