Let Bathinda decide my fate,says Badal Junior

Prem Singh Chandumajra is at the chock-a-block pandal,waiting for Sukhbir. Besides making sure of the stock of diet coke cans for Sukhbir,Chandumajra,the Patiala nominee,is mindful of Tohra’s strong legacy in the area. The Akali posters here feature L K Advani,Rajnath Singh and Tohra.

Sukhbir starts off and plays the development card: international airports,express highways,and power initiatives are the staple ingredient in his oratory.

Late Capt Kanwaljit’s constituency Banur is his next halt. En-route,Sukhbir makes up his mind on the advertisements in newspapers. “The strip advertisements are better than the vertical ones for the print media,” he tells his media planners who are working overtime at his residence.

The next five minutes Sukhbir spends convincing a senior SAD leader regarding what not to do — it’s ladoos versus coins. Sukhbir says,“Let’s not use coins for weighing. Ladoos will be better. At least people can eat it later.” The person on the other side on the phone is probably unimpressed with his logic.

The next halt is a little distance from Rajpura where Zirakpur strongman N K Sharma is waiting with nearly three dozen representatives from Bhudladha. They want one of the kin of the Badals to adopt the area. “In the MC elections,certain BJP leaders colluded with the Congress to ensure SAD’s defeat on some seats. Your intervention is needed,” they tell him. Sukhbir’s assurance is prompt. “I’ll change the way Bhudladha looks. You just wait and see,” he says.

By now Capt Kanwaljit’s son Jasjit Singh Bunny has joined Sukhbir. Former Congress leader Sheelam Sohi is waiting at the Banur grain market for Sukhbir. Banur will give us the lead,his supporters tell Sukhbir as he arrives.

It is late afternoon and the scorching heat has made it tough for people waiting for hours on the floors meant for stacking up grain. “It’s your fight. You have to vote for development,” Sukhbir tells them.

He’s now headed for his next stops at Lalru and Patiala. “You know,we keep working after midnight. That helps. It’s not like Amarinder Singh’s style,” he tells you. Ask him about the issue of Sikh PM,Sukhbir says,“It’s nowhere an issue. Our thrust is on development and that’s the main issue in Punjab. We’ve pledged the best infrastructure,education and power. Punjab will be the best place.”

The junior Badal doesn’t miss mentioning Bathinda,from where his better half is contesting. “There’s been so much development in Bathinda. It’s one factor that now attracts people and helps them decide,” he adds.