Patiala Urban suffers royal neglect

Aman Sood

As we enter Patiala from Rajpura, two dilapidated statues of royals mounted on horses greet us. An arm of one of them is broken, while the polo stick of the other is missing.

A few kilometres down the road is the crumbling office of the District Congress Committee — the hub of political discussions when the party was in power (2002-07). Back-to-back defeats in the Assembly elections have taken the sheen off the Congress office.

A youth puts up a tangential argument: the plight of the two structures in the Patiala Urban segment sums up the state of the Congress — battered.

And that rubbed off on to the city, the home turf of Punjab Congress president and former CM Capt Amarinder Singh. The party has here registered 10 victories in the past five decades.

Legal executive Amanpreet Singh, who returned from Australia after working there for five years, says, “What happened when the people voted for the Congress last time (2012) and elected Amarinder? And what change did his wife Preneet Kaur effect when she was elected MLA after Amarinder became the Amritsar MP?” he asks, raising the pitch of his voice as he speaks.

“The two leaders were unapproachable during their tenure,” Amanpreet claims, blaming them for the city’s neglect.

The Congress, which won the seat thrice on the trot starting from the 2002 elections, takes the plea that it could not ensure development in the past 10 years because it was in the opposition.

Amritpal Singh, an electrician, points out another reason for the poor condition of the city: “corrupt” Municipal Corporation.

“The city lacks basic amenities because the MC (dominated by the SAD) has become a den of corruption. The failure to take action against encroachments and illegal buildings points to the rot in the civic body. Before every MC elections, some projects are launched only to be left incomplete once the poll is over,” he says, standing in a queue to withdraw money from a bank on the Bhupindra road.

Even a senior Akali leader admits to the poor functioning of the MC. “Ever since the Akalis are in power (in the MC), development in the city has come to a standstill. Fund crunch is a major reason,” he says.

Fed up with the working of the MC, Amritpal bats for the Congress this time. “Voting for the Congress would mean we might get the Chief Minister from Patiala. He can bring development in the segment,” he says.

Puja Sidhu, a housewife, echoes his views. “Every time I pick up a newspaper, I read about paucity of funds affecting the shifting of dairies, recarpeting of roads and Rajindra Lake beautification. Amarinder’s government will at least make sure that the city gets the funds. Even if AAP comes to power, we expect some projects to be completed,” she says.

The past election results show the inclination of voters towards the Congress. Since 1977, the Congress has won the seat six times, while the SAD won it twice.

In 1977, SAD’s Sardara Singh Kohli defeated Shambhu Prasad, an Independent candidate. In subsequent elections of 1980, 1985 and 1992, Brahm Mohindra of the Congress bagged the seat. In 1997, Kohli’s son Surjit Singh Kohli wrested the segment from Brahm Mohindra.

The Congress made a comeback in 2002. Then, Brahm Mohindra was shifted to Samana, paving the way for Amarinder to contest from Patiala Urban. He defeated SAD’s Sarup Singh Sehgal by a thumping margin of 33,583 votes on his way to becoming the Chief Minister. He held on to the seat in 2007 and 2012.

This time, the announcement of Amarinder’s candidature is a mere formality, with the party sticking to its stance of “one family, one ticket”.

Preneet will not be left behind. Known to be a chord that binds the royalty with Patiala residents, she will be campaigning for her husband who will be busy in other segments across the state.

“The Congress will resume development works, particularly pertaining to civic amenities that the SAD-BJP government stopped during my tenure as an MLA,” she says.

From the SAD, local councillor Harpal Juneja and former minister Surjit Singh Kohli are among the front runners.

Juneja, who has the “silent support” of the administration, has been making effort to “ensure a win” in case he is fielded. He admits the fight will be tough.

“The SAD wants to field a candidate who is roaming in a cavalcade of SUVs with gun-toting securitymen,” says Australia-returned Amanpreet without disclosing whom he is referring to.

No matter who wins, for him the elections are meaningless because the “sufferer is the common man”.

A SAD leader hints that the party will play the communal card while allotting the ticket. Jat Sikhs comprise 18 per cent of 1.53 lakh voters in the segment; other Sikhs, 25 per cent; OBCs, 20 per cent; and Dalits, 11 per cent.

But can the caste factor alone bag the seat for the Akalis? “The party needs to do more,” the SAD leader says in a matter-of-fact way.

A few residents point to the roads being recarpeted. Surely an exercise aimed at the upcoming elections, they say cynically. Will these pave the way for the Akalis’ victory? Or will the Congress continue its journey unhindered? Or will AAP spring a surprise? Only time will tell.