In Punjab, voters await a singing contest

The AAP has fielded popular actor-singer Karamjeet Singh Anmol in Faridkot.

“Mohd Sadique, a popular folk artist of Punjab who has a global presence, is the sitting MP of Faridkot. He is from the Congress. So far the Congress hasn’t declared its candidates. If they field Sadique, it will be a musical treat for the voters. No doubt only one will win, but over 14.5 lakh voters will be exposed to three candidates with celebrity status,” said Mahinder Singh, a Kotkapura resident.

Hans entered politics with the Shiromani Akali Dal in 2009 and he unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls in Jalandhar against the Congress’s Mohinder Singh Kaypee that year. He continued in the SAD till 2014. After a gap of about two years, he joined the Congress in February 2016, only to leave the party for the BJP 10 months later.

Before the BJP announced his candidature from Faridkot, there were rumours that Hans may switch to the AAP.

“I don’t know anything about the rumours of my joining the AAP as this life is for Modiji and the BJP… Previously I had quit the Akali Dal and Congress because I felt ignored and not because of any ticket issue,” he had said then.

“I am an ardent follower of Sufism, which teaches us to never talk ill about anyone. Once I have been declared a candidate, I have surrendered myself in the court of the people and let them choose the best candidate for them,” Hans said.

“Karamjeet is like a younger brother and if Sadiqueji comes again, he will be also a respected person for me. He was my parliament colleague as well in 2019-2022. I had done many stage shows in the Faridkot area during my active years of singing. I am sure the other artists must also have done many programmes,” he said.

“Faridkot is a place named after spiritual guru Baba Farid. So I have surrendered myself before him,” he added.

Anmol, a close friend of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, started his campaign in the constituency on March 17. Apart from giving speeches, he also sang while campaigning in Kotkapura. On March 20, Mann called Anmol on his phone while the latter was speaking at a public meeting in Jaiton. The chief minister thus addressed the meeting through Anmol’s phone.

Hans’ two sons, Yuvraj Hans and Navraj Hans, are actors-singers. Navraj is married to singer Daler Mehandi’s daughter. In 2019 Daler Mehandi and his younger brother Mika Singh campaigned for Hans. People are expecting similar events this time. However, with farm unions restricting BJP leaders’ entry to villages, how smooth the campaign will be for Hans remains to be seen.

Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal of the SAD became Faridkot’s first MP in 1977, while his son Sukhbir Singh Badal won the seat in 1996, 1998 and 2004. Sukhbir, now the SAD chief, started his political journey from Faridkot. He was defeated by the Congress’s Jagmeet Singh Brar in 1999 despite the SAD-BJP government being in power in the state.

Since 2009, the constituency has been reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. In 2009 the SAD’s Paramjeet Gulshan won and the AAP made its entry in 2014 with Sadhu Singh, who defeated Gulshan with a margin of over one lakh votes. However, Mohd Sadique defeated the SAD’s Gulzar Singh Ranike by over 83,000 votes in 2019, with Sadhu Singh finishing a distant third.

The Lok Sabha election campaign is yet to pick up momentum in Punjab as all parties have not announced their candidates yet.

However, Hans said, “Never bother about the outcome…just do your work. It gives eternal peace.”