Banking on family legacy, Akali Dal’s Faridkot nominee Rajwinder Singh reaches out to voters

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, April 19

Rajwinder Singh, son of three-time Akali MLA Sheetal Singh and grandson of late Agriculture Minister Gurdev Singh Badal, has been fielded for Faridkot parliamentary seat (reserve) by the Shiromani Akali Dal. The party aims at reaping maximum votes in Faridkot and Moga as Singh has good base in both districts.

He is currently in the real estate business. His maternal grandfather, late Gurdev Singh Badal, was the Dalit face of SAD (B). He was a leader who was known for his wide influence in Faridkot district and his closeness with Parkash Singh Badal.

While Gurdev Singh Badal’s son, Suba Singh Badal, could not carve out a niche in politics using his father’s base in the area, Gurdev’s son-in-law Sheetal Singh was successful in establishing himself as a leader of masses in Dharamkot area of Moga.

Sheetal Singh was elected from Dharamkot Assembly constituency in 1997, 2002 and 2007, before it was de-reserved and the ticket was given to another senior SAD leader Tota Singh after delimitation.

In 2014, Lok Sabha elections, Sheetal Singh had filed his nomination papers as an independent from Faridkot parliamentary constituency, alleging the family was being marginalised by the party.

However, later on he had withdrawn his papers and the family had supported the SAD (B) candidate, Paramjit Kaur Gulshan. By contesting elections now as SAD (B) candidate on Faridkot seat, Rajwinder Singh sees it as a huge opportunity for the family to re-establish itself as a big contender in the field.

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#Agriculture #Faridkot #Shiromani Akali Dal