Workers upbeat as Sukhbir to contest from Ferozepur

Tribune News Service

Malout, April 23

As the SAD on Tuesday fielded its president Sukhbir Singh Badal from the Ferozepur parliamentary constituency, party workers seem to be upbeat. They distributed laddoos and danced to the drumbeats at Ennakhera village in the Malout Assembly segment here.

Lappi Ennakhera, president, Youth Akali Dal (YAD), Muktsar district, said, “We will now win with a huge margin. The Congress leadership is divided on the candidature of Sher Singh Ghubaya, whereas the candidature of our party chief has given boosted the workers.”

SAD general secretary Harpreet Singh, who is an ex-MLA from Malout, said, “A number of people are calling to congratulate us in advance. We are already meeting area residents seeking their votes and support. As the candidate is announced, we will work harder. Ghubaya became MP twice on the SAD ticket and now, he joined the Congress close to the polls, people will not trust him.”

Meanwhile, Manjinder Singh ‘Bittu’, organisational secretary of the SAD, welcomed the decision of the party’s core committee. He said the party president would win with a record margin.

During the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, while campaigning in the Muktsar Assembly constituency, Ghubaya had to face public ire on some occasions for allegedly remaining absent from the area.

At that time, Kanwarjit Singh ‘Rozy Barkandi’, who is now Muktsar MLA and SAD’s Muktsar district chief, had pacified the public by appealing to Ghubaya with his hands folded to shun his “old habits” and promise that he would make frequent visits to the constituency.

The SAD leadership claimed that the voters were wise enough and would differentiate between Ghubaya and Sukhbir.