With the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) officially handing the Ludhiana South ticket to city Mayor Hakam Singh Giaspura,the party will now have to contend with the Bains brothers in two constituencies of Ludhiana district. The Akali ticket for the Ludhiana South seat had initially been allotted to Balwinder Singh Bains,but when the brothers rebelled after the younger Simarjeet Singh Bains was denied the Atam Nagar ticket,they were expelled from the party and Balwinders ticket was withdrawn. While Balwinder is expected to test the waters as an Independent in Ludhiana South,Simarjeet is in the poll fray at Atam Nagar,where he will take on arch rival and Jails Minister Hira Singh Gabria of the SAD(B). The Gabria and Bains rivalry has a long history but rose to the forefront some four years ago when the SAD(B) swept the local council polls. Simarjeet had then been in the running for the Mayors post but the one time youth SAD leader and close aide of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal felt snubbed when the Mayorship was handed over to Hakam Singh Giaspura,who is said to be close to Gabria. Things worsened for the Bains,when SAD refused to back them during their conflict with the Ludhiana West tehsildar,Major (retd) Gurjinder Singh Benipal. Benipal is also reportedly a Gabria loyalist. During the recent SGPC elections Gabria allegedly floated a candidate to counter Balwinder Singh Bains. The elder Bains,however,won the polls and consolidated his place in the party. It was being said that the Bains brothers were back in power after Sukhbir Badal paid them a personal visit at their residence. The relationship soon soured,however,when the party announced a ticket for Balwinder Bains but left Simarjeet in the cold. The younger Bains decided to go it alone in Atam Nagar and when both the brothers failed to toe the party line,urging Simarjeet to withdraw from the polls,they were shown the door.
