Dasuya: 3 decades on, no district status

Sanjiv kumar Bakshi

One of the oldest sub-divisions and constituencies in Hoshiarpur district, the Dasuya Assembly segment is rich with diverse geographical conditions and at the same time plagued with problems as well. The semi-hilly terrain of the Kandi area has always been a point of concern and a major electoral issue with the problem of unemployment. The demand for a medical college is long-pending, even after assurances of successive Chief Ministers.

Past trend

It has been a Cong bastion since Independence, except for 1967 and 1969. In 2007 and 2012, BJP’s Amarjeet Sahi defeated Cong MLA Ramesh Chander Dogra. After Sahi’s death, his wife Sukhjit Kaur retained the seat in bypoll. In 2017, Dogra’s son Arun won the seat back.

Electorate strength

Total voters - 1,96,178

Male -1,00,405

Female -95,772

Third gender - 1

Locals’ key demands

• District status for Dasuya
• Medical college
• Projects for Kandi area
• Job avenues for youth

For three decades, the district status to Dasuya has also been lingering. The then MLA of Dasuya, Ramesh Chander Dogra, who held important portfolios in Congress governments, raised the issue several times. Then BJP MLA Amarjeet Shahi too had promised district status to Dasuya in his poll promise, which got support from the then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. But nothing happened. In 2017, it was on the list of the poll promises of all candidates. Congress MLA Arun Dogra won and the issue was expected to be resolved.

In the 2019 General Election, the then-CM Capt Amarinder Singh also promised to make Dasuya the district. Now recently, CM Charanjit Singh Channi too agreed to consider it. But the issue remains alive for coming elections. Despite this, Mukerian and Tanda have been carved out of it to make them sub-divisions.

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