Among farmer party’s candidates: Industrialists, doctors, accountants

Tarun Bawa Jain is president of a dyeing association, Harkirat Singh Rana is a hosiery industrialist, Sukhmandeep Singh is a doctor, Ramandeep Singh is a physiotherapist and Kulbir Singh Matta is an arhtiya. What binds them all together is that they are candidates of the Samyukta Samaj Morcha (SSM), a political outfit formed by farmer unions to contest the upcoming elections in Punjab.

Led by Balbir Singh Rajewal, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Rajewal faction, one of the farm groups that was part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) that led the protest against the farm laws, the SSM has decided to fight on all 117 seats.

So far, it has come out with a list of 110 names. While Rajewal is contesting from Samrala and the SSM has fielded other farm leaders such as Prem Singh Bhangu (Ghanaur constituency), Gurnam Singh Bhikhi (Mansa), Harjinder Singh Tanda (Khadoor Sahib), Buta Singh Shadipur (Sanaur) and Ravneet Singh Brar (Mohali), also on the SSM candidate list are industrialists, advocates, doctors and others, many with little or no farming background.

Asked about professionals contesting on SSM tickets, Prem Singh Bhangu, screening committee member of the morcha and its candidate from Ghanaur constituency of Patiala, said, “We all are part of this society and hence when we contest polls, tickets have to be given to people from all walks of lives. A passion to bring about change in society is what we looked for in our candidates.”

The Indian Express spoke to some of the candidates.

Tarun Bawa Jain, 49: President of Bahadurke Dyeing Association, Jain is the SSM candidate from Ludhiana West. Jain, however, is not new to politics: he used to be in the BJP and his wife Ruchi Jain was a BJP councillor in 2007, but they quit the party in September 2009. In August last year, Jain formed his own party, ‘Bhartiya Aarthik Party’, which he recently merged with the SSM. “I am doing door-to-door campaigns in the area. The campaign hasn’t picked up much because of the weather, but will soon.” He is up against Cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu of the Congress and Gurpreet Singh Gogi, who recently switched from Congress to AAP.

Harkirat Singh Rana, 59: Candidate from Atam Nagar constituency of Ludhiana, Rana is president of Hazuri Road Hosiery Association. “I am not a farmer but I have been to Singhu several times. Moreover, SSM was formed to give representation to people of all sections of society,” he said. Rana is contesting against sitting MLA Simarjeet Bains of the Lok Insaaf Party, and Congress leader Kamaljeet Singh Karwal.

Sukhmandeep Singh, 25: An MBBS doctor from Tarn Taran, Singh says he gave up his plans of studying abroad when the farm agitation began. “After my MBBS from Ukraine, I was in India on a break before travelling to the US to do my Master’s when I came across Dr Swaimaan Singh, a New Jersey-based doctor, rendering services at the Tikri border. I decided then that I would stay on and do something for Punjab.” Sitting Congress MLA Dharambir Singh Agnihotri and AAP’s Kashmir Singh Sohal are the other candidates fighting from Tarn Taran.

Ramandeep Singh

Ramandeep Singh, 31: SSM candidate from Jaitu in Faridkot district, Singh is a physiotherapist and runs a rehabilitation centre. He is also joint secretary of the Punjab Para Sports Association. He too had turned up for the farmer protests. “There are 48 villages in the constituency. We have a campaign team and we have visited the entire constituency once. I am getting a good response.” He is up against SAD’s Suba Singh Badal and AAP’s Amolak Singh.

Gurpreet Singh Kotli.

Gurpreet Singh Kotli, 33: A post-graduate in physics who earlier worked as an adhoc teacher, Kotli, SSM’s Gidderbaha candidate, is taking on Cabinet minister Amarinder Raja Warring and SAD heavyweight Dimpy Dhillon. “I worked as an AAP volunteer with (former AAP MP) Dr Sadhu Singh during the 2014 election. But I left the party when Kejriwal apologised to Majithia. While the kisan aandolan gave me an insight into farming issues, I belong to a family of marginal farmers, so I understand these issues better than most people.”

Anil Kumar Gupta, 34: An accountant, Gupta is contesting from Ludhiana South. His family hails from Gorakhpur. “My constituency is dominated by migrant voters. I know their problems because I myself go through them every day.” He is up against sitting LIP MLA Balwinder Bains and former SAD minister Hira Singh Gabria.

Navdeep Sangha, 41: Granted the SSM ticket from Moga, the day he resigned from AAP, Sangha is a liquor contractor. Before joining the AAP in 2017, he had had forays into the Congress and the SAD. His family claims that Sangha is a movie producer.