‘My rival has been a non-performer, with no development work to his credit’

Logo: Know your candidate - Paramjit Pamma

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 16

Having changed its candidate every time from the Kapurthala general seat, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has, this time, placed its bet on Paramjit Singh Pamma, a postgraduate Valmiki and four-time councillor.

With the seat vested in the Congress’ Rana Gurjit Singh or his family for the past four elections (including bypoll in 2004), the SAD now aims to pull it towards its way. Middle-aged Pamma is a practising lawyer, besides being a sitting councillor. He has been the president of the Kapurthala MC for two terms in 2000 and 2007.

At present, it is not just he but even his wife Shaminder Kaur and his brother Sukhwinder Singh, who are councillors in the local MC, with his entire family having political experience in local politics and having contacts at the ground level.

To add on to his profile is the fact that he is brother-in-law of Sufi singer and BJP leader Hans Raj Hans. Hans claims that Pamma is like his son. “My wife’s parents passed away early and I treated her brother more like my child because of the age difference between us,” says Hans as he goes on campaigning for him. Hans today also came along with him as Pamma filed his nomination papers.

Pamma has three children. “My daughter moved to Canada for her graduation after finishing school. Both my sons are at senior secondary level in school here. They are too young to campaign for me,” he said.

About his plans to take on Rana, the Akali candidate said, “He has been a total non-performer. He cannot claim even a single work in Kapurthala which goes to his credit.” To give his candidature a fillip, CM Parkash Singh Badal had held a sangat darshan and announced works worth Rs 20 crore in the area. “Now Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal is coming to hold a rally in my constituency on January 26,” he said.

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Age: 48

Qualification: LLB and masters in social work from Punjabi University, Patiala

Constituency: Kapurthala

Poll record: First-timer for Assembly polls, sitting MC councillor

Focus: Development