Cong confines SAD leaders to Mandi Killianwali

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Malout, September 19

The Congress leadership on Wednesday seemed to have adopted a well-planned strategy to confine senior SAD leaders of Lambi, including its Zila Parishad candidate from Killianwali zone Tejinder Singh Middukhera, to Mandi Killianwali as every time when the SAD leaders moved out from there, a mob made attempts to enter the polling station.

As a result, the SAD leaders had to return to Mandi Killianwali, which is the largest village, having nearly 6,000 votes.

In the meantime, there were reports of booth capturing in other villages, but the SAD leaders mainly remained confined to this village.

Many youths wielding iron rods and batons remained present near the polling station.

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal too made two rounds of this village in his cavalcade.

Further, senior officers of the district administration, including the Bathinda Zone IGP MF Farooqui, Muktsar Deputy Commissioner MK Aravind Kumar, Muktsar SSP Manjit Singh Dhesi, along with heavy police force, remained present there for a long time.

On the other hand, Congress leaders alleged that the SAD leaders were indulging into violence, thrashing their workers and capturing polling booths.

“What to talk about other SAD leaders when their party chief Sukhbir Badal is working as a goon. His security men, people in his cavalcade, not just damaged vehicles of party workers, but also thrashed some workers. They are now out of power, but they have still not left their old habits,” alleged Ravinderpal Singh, Congress candidate from Killianwali Zila Parishad zone.

On the other hand, Middukhera said, “It was a nexus of the district administration, police and Congressmen today. Basically, the Congress played a drama of polling. It would have been better if they nominated their candidates. This is the murder of democracy. In my political career, I have never captured a single polling booth, but these Congressmen did not spare a single village from booth capturing.”

Notably, Killianwali Zila Parishad election is one of the key poll battles in Muktsar district.

Apart from this, the other key contest is at Udekaran Zila Parishad zone, where SAD has fielded Manjinder Singh Bittu, son of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, and Congress has fielded Simarjit Singh Bhina Brar, son of former president of the Muktsar District Congress Committee.