The 59-year-old who wrested the fort of Lambi

Gurmeet Singh Khuddian defeated SAD patron and five-time former CM Parkash Singh Badal, 94, from the latter's stronghold by a margin of 11,357 votes.

Bathinda Lok Sabha elections: Gurmeet Singh Khudian, AAP

Gurmeet Singh Khudian, AAP (Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

It was on July 26, 2021, that Gurmeet Singh Khuddian left Congress, a party he was associated with for more than 30 years, and joined the Aam Aadmi Party on the same day. He was declared candidate from Lambi in November in AAP’s second list.

However, this 59-year-old first timer did the unimaginable. He defeated SAD patron and five-time former CM Parkash Singh Badal, 94, from the latter’s stronghold by a margin of 11,357 votes.

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After winning the election, Khuddian said, “They have been playing fixed matches all these years and elections happened for the first time. Kejriwalji gave me ticket from Lambi as he knew that I could take the Badals head on.”

A resident of Khuddian village of Muktsar district in Punjab,his father, Jagdev Singh Khuddian had won Lok Sabha election from Faridkot parliamentary seat on SAD (Amritsar) ticket in 1989. Elections took place in November 1989 and by December end, Jagdev had gone missing. A week after, his body was fished out from a canal.

Khuddian had joined Congress about three decades ago and was also the president of Congress committee in Muktsar district. Khuddian was always vocal in his party and had often alleged that Congress workers were not being heard at police stations, local offices etc despite the fact that Congress government had won by full majority.

Khushvir Singh, Khuddian’s nephew, said, “He has been working in Lambi constituency for more than two decades now but Congress always denied him ticket. For the first time he got ticket from AAP and he defeated senior Badal.”

During a celebration in Dana Mandi, Khuddian said, “I don’t even want to remember Amarinder Singh, who believed in playing fixed match and now lost by 13,000 votes. Let’s talk about today and now. This victory is of the people of Lambi, who thought of badlaav and dared to make senior Badal lose. Badalji had a good fortune, he remained CM of Punjab for five times. I am a sewak of janta and I believe in clean politics. I believe that now Akal purakh blessed me too.”