Follow Us
Aakanksha N Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, May 16
With only a day left for candidates to show their strength, there is no stopping for Jalandhar SAD candidate Charanjit Singh Atwal (82).
Wearing a white kurta-pyjama and sneakers, he is pacing up with other candidates. During the interview, Atwal spoke highly of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It seemed that more than anything else, the SAD is garnering votes in the name of Modi in the city.
What are the issues that ail Jalandhar?
Be it the leather industry, hand tool industry or sports industry, all are in a bad condition. They have told me their problems and I will take up the matter with Centre. Besides, lack of development is a main issue in the district.
At 82 years of age and soaring temperature, how do you manage to campaign?
Mainu koi problem nahee. Roz savere main exercise karda (I don’t have any problem, I exercise in the morning). I wake up around 5.30-6 in the morning, say prayers and then start exercising. I work for around 16-17 hours every day.
You have been campaigning for long, what is the chance of SAD winning the elections?
See, the SAD has an alliance with the BJP. And right now, people have only one concern that who will be the Prime Minister of the country. People want that the Prime Minister must be ‘imaandar’ and mature. Also, he must be courageous enough so that the enemy country is scared of. Rahul Gandhi is ‘childlike and immature’. When the Congress was in power for 10 years, the party should have at least made him a minister. Everyone would have known by now how mature he is.
What will work in favour of SAD-BJP?
The wish to see Modi again as the Prime Minister is the foremost factor which is being seen in these elections. And another factor which I feel is that people are not happy with the state government too. The Congress had made several promises before coming to power, of which not even one has been fulfilled.
Why no big BJP leader came here to support you? Even Modi went to Hoshiarpur!
Narendra Modi had invited all candidates who are fighting the elections from the Doaba region to Hoshiarpur. Also, despite the location or place, wherever he gives his speech, the effect can be felt everywhere else.
How has been the support of the BJP and the RSS?
I have a complete support from the BJP and every wing has been supporting me.
Is there any support from NRIs in your campaigning?
Last time, the Aam Aadmi Party had misled the NRIs but now they are nowhere. The AAP is finished in the state. Now, all NRIs are supporting me. I have been getting calls from the NRIs from abroad and they are supporting me completely.
The BSP has been a gainer this time. There are allegations that the SAD is funding them so that you have an edge?
They are a political party. Even the SAD has not enough money, how can it fund the others? We ourselves are campaigning by taking money from the people at the local level. How can someone say that we are funding them? These are mere allegations.