From babudom to politics,‘to serve the people better’

Guru put in his papers only last month though it had been expected for several months that he was likely to contest. He is one of six retired bureaucrats fielded by the SAD; the seventh is contesting for the BJP,the SAD’s partner in the ruling alliance.

Guru,who will face Mohd Sadique,a Punjabi singer who has got the Congress ticket from Bhadaur,stresses a background in serving the public. He was the panch of Khudi Khurd village before being entering the IAS in the late 1970s,he points out.

And as an officer,“I was public-spirited,” he says. “During my tenure as deputy commissioner in Bathinda,I used to devote two days a week to the public,one day touring villages and the other day at my office. During my tenure as principal secretary to the chief minister,I was dealing with the public,so I know the pulse of the people.”

Among the others who have turned SAD candidates is Pargat Singh,India’s former hockey captain who went on to become director (sports). He is contesting from Jalandhar (Cantonment). Former Director General of Police P S Gill is contesting from Moga,former Ludhiana additional deputy commissioner Shiv Ram Kler from Jagroan,and retired additional deputy commissioner Sukhwant Singh Sarao from Lehra Gaga.

Also,former IAS officer Amarjit Singh Sidhu is contesting once again from Talwandi Saboo. The only former bureaucrat fielded by the Akali Dal last time,he had lost that election from the same seat.

The retired bureaucrat in the BJP’s lineup is Som Parkash,a former IAS officer who is now the vice president of the state unit of the party. He is being fielded from Phagwara,replacing sitting MLA and former minister Chaudhary Sawrna Ram,who has been denied the ticket. In the last Lok Sabha elections,Som Parkash had been given the BJP ticket from Hoshiarpur and lost.

“Cross-occupational mobility is a new trend that has started,” says Dr Parmod Kumar of IDC,a political analyst. “Mass-based politics (is over),now it has become a profession.”

The Congress has not fielded any retired babu or IPS officer; former DGP S S Virk had applied for a ticket from Dasuya but turned down.

Pargat Singh,who has just resigned from government service,says,“As an officer you know the system and as a politician you can bring a change in the system for betterment of people…” Singh is fighting against Jagbir Brar,the Jalandhar (Cantonment) sitting MLA who joined the Congress some time ago. Brar used to be an Akali Dal MLA but left,first for the People’s Party of Punjab and then moving on to the Congress.

Gill,who retired as Punjab DGP on September 30,is contesting against sitting MLA Joginder Pal Jain of the Congress from a seat that his father Nachattar Singh Gill represented for many years. “After my father’s death our family remained active but was not in politics. After my retirement I decided to serve the public,” he says.

Sukhwant Singh Sarao is pitched against Leader of the Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. His brother has been involved in local politics and he hopes to build on that support base.

Among wives,Farzana Nissara Khatoon,58,of the SAD is pitched against Razia Sultana,45,of the Congress in Malerkotla. Khatoon,wife of former DGP (Prisons) Izhar Alam,is a first-timer while Razia,wife of additional DGP (Internal Vigilance) Mohd Mustaffa,has been MLA from the seat for the last two terms.

In Shatrana,the Akali Dal candidate is Varinder Pal Kaur Loomba,wife of Karan Singh,former district transport officer of Mohali who has now been transferred by the Election Commission to Bathinda. She too is a first-timer,contesting against Nirmal Singh of the Congress.

Babus,Top Cops & Better Halves

D S Guru: SAD,Bhadaur. Former principal secretary to CM contesting against Mohd Sadique,Congress

Pargat Singh: SAD,Jalandhar (Cantt). Former director,sports (and India hockey captain before that), up against sitting MLA Jagbir Brar,Cong

P S Gill: SAD,Moga. Former DGP contesting to win back his father’s former seat from sitting MLA Joginder Pal Jain,Congress.

Shiv Ram Kler: SAD,Jagroan. Former Ludhiana additional DC.

Sukhwant Singh Sarao: SAD,Lehra Gaga. Another former additional DC.

Amarjit Singh Sidhu: SAD,Talwandi Saboo. Former IAS officer’s second shot at this seat.

Som Parkash: BJP,Phagwara. Former IAS officer,now a BJP leader,replaces sitting MLA Chaudhary Sawrna Ram; he had lost Lok Sabha elections earlier.

Farzana Nissara Khatoon: SAD,Malerkotla. Debut by wife of former DGP (Prisons) Izhar Alam.

Razia Sultana: Congress,Malerkotla. Wife of additional DGP (Internal Vigilance) Mohd Mustaffa is sitting MLA,defending her seat against Khatoon.

Varinder Pal Kaur Loomba,SAD,Shatrana. Wife of Karan Singh,former district transport officer of Mohali (now transferred to Bathinda),is a first-timer,contesting against Nirmal Singh,Congress.