Ludhiana West bypoll: In insider vs outsider war, Punjab Congress sees a silver lining

“They don’t have a single achievement to highlight in this constituency in the past three years of their rule; therefore, they are making personal attacks on me.” As the polling date of June 19 approaches, the political activity intensifies with each passing day. “It’s Ashu versus Kejriwal,” said Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit, accompanying Ashu to a public meeting in Jiwan Nagar. Ashu, however, invokes regional sentiment and identity versus an outsider: “It’s the people of Punjab versus Kejriwal.”

Ashu’s comments, “outsiders are running and looting Punjab”, outline the broad theme, the Congress proceeding with its campaign against the AAP.

At a public meeting, Rana Gurjit attacked the AAP government. “The AAP government projects an image of ‘benti wali sarkar’ (a government which is polite), but in reality, it is a government ‘jedi baanh marod-di hai’ (a government which twists arms).”

Rana Gurjit was referring to cases lodged against Ashu and a recent Punjab Vigilance Bureau summoning him, following which a VB SSP was accused of being hand-in-glove with Ashu and suspended. “The entire AAP leadership is out on bail, while all charges against me have been quashed by the courts. Earlier, they used to call me ‘Natwarlal’, but now, they can call me anything, but corrupt. It’s a moral victory for me. AAP wanted the SSP Vigilance to arrest me immediately, but he, perhaps, followed the due procedure and issued me a notice first. He was, thus, suspended,” says Ashu.

Rana Gurjit told the gathering in Jiwan Nagar, “Ashu has a bright future in Punjab politics, and he will rise very high.” Congress leader and former MLA Raj Kumar Verka, also in attendance, nodded to Rana’s remarks.
Known as a “master tactician” and “smart poll manager” in the Congress ranks and files for the way he strategises the party’s poll agendas and campaigns, it is learnt that Rana Gurjeet is giving his best shot to the Congress campaign in Ludhiana West.

However, playing down his role, he said, “It’s a team effort. Everyone is pitching in, no matter how senior he is. Everyone has been allotted areas, and they are handling 10,000-12,000 vote pockets. Be it former chief minister Charanjit Channi, veteran MLAs like Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbinder Singh Sukhsarkaria or Raj Kumar Verka, we all are putting our efforts to ensure Ashu’s victory.”

Rana Gurjeet, popular among young people for his YouTube interviews, podcasts, and humorous one-liners, posed for selfies and photos with several youths at a marketplace. Fatehgarh Churian MLA Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said Ashu would win the electoral battle…“baaki rab de hathh hai” (rest it is up to God).

“The Congress is battling two governments at a time — the ED-CBI government of the Centre and the Vigilance government of Punjab,” he said.

Claiming “huge resentment” among AAP workers on the ground, Bajwa said, “The AAP leadership promises ministerial posts to every outsider to win polls, while their cadre gets nothing. They did it in Jalandhar, and now, they have promised the same in Ludhiana West. Their cadres are asking if there is anyone capable in the party.
An elderly person, attending a nukkad meeting at a public park, said, requesting anonymity, “Ashu’s demeanour has changed for the better. He is accepting his mistakes. Also, the AAP government’s vendetta against him has given him public sympathy.”

Ashu said. “We were the Opposition for a long time. As an Opposition, you have to be aggressive and demanding. Possibly, I carried that aggressiveness even when my party came to power, but I never misused power as a minister. But see how AAP ministers and MLAs are behaving. One of them forced a vice-chancellor to lie down on the bed, which led him to resign, and recently, an AAP MLA made rude remarks against teachers at an event.”

“The might of the government is ranged against me, aided by money power”, Ashu said. “But let me tell you, there will not be a thin margin of victory this election, because this constituency always hands over a win with a comfortable margin.”

Ludhiana West is a Hindu majority Assembly constituency, with sizable numbers of Jains and Aggarwals. However, Aroras, Jat Sikhs, Ramgarhia Sikhs, SC community and migrants have the potential to tilt the balance together.

Punjab Agriculture University and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University campuses are in this part of Ludhiana. “Padhe likhe lokaan di constituency hai (it is a constituency of educated people),” Rana Gurjeet said. Another public meeting took place near Ludhiana City Centre. While Ashu was addressing the gathering, Rana Gurjeet and Tript Rajinder Bajwa took out their cell phones and showed video clips of some chairs being unloaded for an AAP event. “Even contractors arranging chairs and tents for AAP public meetings and functions are from Delhi. And, this has become the talk of the town. This is why we call it a fight between the people of Punjab and Arvind Kejriwal,” Bajwa divulged.