Poll fever yet to grip Badal village

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Badal (Muktsar), March 17

The Lok Sabha elections have been announced in the state (May 19), but political activities are yet to pick up pace in Badal village.

Villagers said barely one or two meetings of SAD workers had been held in the recent past at the residence of the Badals.

Even recently, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who is also Bathinda MP, had spent about two weeks in her constituency. These days, former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is present at his residence in the village, but he is also not looking politically active.

Some villagers said the village mainly witnessed political activities when SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal arrived at his residence. “Hardly 10 to 15 vehicles can be seen parked outside the residence of the Badals these days. It shows election fever is yet to catch up,” they added.

Meanwhile, a SAD leader said as both SAD and Congress were yet to announce their candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, political activities were yet to pick up pace. “Once the candidates are finalised, the village will again become the hotspot,” he added.

Notably, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, who is Bathinda (Urban) MLA, is also a native of Badal village. There are speculations that the Congress may field him from Bathinda if the SAD fields Harsimrat from the constituency. However, his residence at the village is also yet to witness any political activity.

“All politicians have adopted a wait-and-watch policy. Once the candidate of any party is finalised, the other one will declare the same after that. Therefore, election fever is yet to grip the village,” said Badal village residents.