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Journalism of Courage
While Punjab is still grappling with the law and order situation arising out of Talhan, it is the Congress that has suffered the most due to caste violence.
Though the Doaba region is regarded the party’s home turf, the Dalit vote is often taken for granted by the Congress. Recent developments coupled with the emergence of local Dalit leadership now threatens to spoil the show.
The black flag demonstration which greeted senior Congress leaders reflects the state of affairs for the party. Many are blaming infighting in the Jalandhar Congress for the flare-up.
The area has seen the emergence of two new leaders — Jalandhar Mayor Surinder Mahey and Zilla Parishad chairman Chaudhry Surinder. Mahey was propped by Local Bodies Minister Chaudhry Jagjit Singh and Surinder is Chaudhry’s son.
Waiting in the wings are non-Congress leaders like Pawan Tinnu of the BSP, Vijay Sampla of the BJP and Ramesh Chohkan of Bahujan Samaj Morcha.
The Shiromani Akali Dal has little to lose here, with veteran leader Kuldip Singh Wadala no longer being in the party. The BSP had its first ever MP from Phillaur in Harbhajan Lakha, and has concentrated on Doaba.
Though BSP fortunes suffered a fall during the last Assembly elections, the emergence of a new crop of local leaders is eroding the Congress base. The BJP too is using its local cadre to woo Dalit votes.
