At Amarinder Singh’s citadel Patiala, Congress pulling out all stops to pip his wife Preneet Kaur, propel Dharamvira Gandhi

During Preneet Kaur’s nukkad meetings as she campaigns for the June 1 polls, a worker is specially assigned to hold a huge cutout of the BJP’s lotus symbol while standing next to Kaur. This is to ensure that the residents do not confuse her for a Congress candidate.

The Congress chose former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, who had defeated Preneet Kaur in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, as the best bet to retain the Patiala for the party. Dr Gandhi had quit the AAP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have addressed rallies in his favour. While Priyanka addressed a rally in Patiala on Sunday, Rahul Gandhi addressed a rally in Patiala on Wednesday, making Patiala the only constituency where both the Gandhi siblings addressed rallies.

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sulhwinder Singh Sukhu addressed rallies in Patiala. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also campaigned for him despite being pinned down in Ludhiana himself.

Amarinder was inducted into the Congress by his schoolmate and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 and subsequently resigned in 1984 to protest against Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple. Later, he joined Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and got elected as MLA from Talwandi Sabo. In 1992, he quit the SAD and formed his own splinter group. Later, he merged it with Congress in 1998. In 2002, he led the Congress to victory in the state and became the chief minister for the first time.

Amarinder’s successor, Charanjit Singh Channi, could not help the Congress win the 2022 Assembly elections, as the party got only 18 seats in a house of 117. Having no other leader to fill Amarinder’s shoes, Congress inducted Dr Gandhi into its fold. Dr Gandhi, who often says that Congress and he had a common goal—to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi—is now taking on Kaur, his election agent from the 2014 Lok Sabah elections, Dr Balbir Singh of the AAP, and SAD candidate NK Sharma.

Dr Gandhi faced difficulties initially, with Congress leaders from Assembly segments falling in Patiala not supporting him amd . Insiders say that handholding by senior leaders has got everybody to support him. Dr Gandhi enjoys goodwill in the city, having been a good Samaritan and helping poor patients as a cardiologist.

A source said the party’s top leadership conveyed to the local leaders that they would not be given the ticket in the 2027 Assembly elections if they did not perform in their respective Assembly segments. “They were told clearly that they would lose their claim on the Assembly segments. It was a clear message,” said a senior Congress leader.

He mentioned that all leaders, such as former Rajpura MLA Hardyal Kamboj and Samana MLA Rajinder Singh, whose father and former minister Lal Singh influences the Sanaur segment, also joined the campaign.

Harish Chaudhary, a Congress leader who was appointed observer for the Punjab Congress in Lok Sabha elections, said, “The Congress does not need to get the party back from Amarinder’s hands. It is already out of his hands. Dr Gandhi is the best candidate Patiala could ever have. The results would tell you. Just wait for the day.”

Dr Gandhi defeated Preneet Kaur in the 2014 elections with a margin of over 21,000 votes. However, in the 2019 elections, Preneet Kaur reclaimed the seat from Dr. Gandhi with 532,000 votes. Dr Gandhi, who had quit the AAP, secured 161,000 votes, placing him at number three. The AAP candidate, Neena Mittal, secured 56,660 votes.