Faridkot’s changing profile kept development static

Avtar Gondara,an advocate and political observer,says,“It for the first time since parliamentary elections began here in 1977 that this constituency has been made reserved. Faridkot is a former princely state and has all the characters of a feudal society. However,in the post-delimitation scenario,a part of the so-called feudal areas of Muktsar and Malout have been given to other constituencies and areas of Bhagapurana and Rampura Phul added to Faridkot. This has changed the caste equation significantly,and with it,the nature of the collective electorate.”

The constituency has been won numerous times by either the Badals for the Akali or Jagmeet Brar for the Congress. In 1999,the constituency witnessed a hard-fought battle between the SAD’s Sukhbir Badal and Congress’ Jagmeet Brar,which the latter won. In 2004,Jagmeet shifted to Ferozepur,where he lost to SAD’s Zora Singh Mann,and Sukhbir won by more than 1 lakh votes. This time,Sukhbir is set to enter the Assembly and Jagmeet has thrown in his hat again from Ferozepur.

Mantar Singh Brar,a senior Akali leader who is busy campaigning for his candidate Paramjit Kaur Gulshan,disagrees,“The only change that I see is that more and more Dalits and women are coming to attend election rallies,which is a good sign. However,this will not have much of a bearing on a constituency that is reserved.”

But many feel that with Sukhbir focusing on Bathinda,from where his wife Harsimrat Badal is contesting,senior Akali leaders are “deserting” Faridkot. Gurdeep Singh Bajwa,a farmer from Dod village,says,“With MP Sukhbir Badal concentrating on Bathinda,not only have the frontline Akali leaders,but those of the second-rung have shifted loyalties.”

Gurinder Singh Gill of Moga adds a rather interesting point. “Faridkot has almost two lakh voters,mostly small farmers,who are ready to sell their votes for a price. This time,however,even this segment is at loss as there is not much cash being offered,” he says.