Rana versus Rana charges up Jalandhar byelection scene

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 7

In the ongoing campaign for Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll, a third Rana has come into Doaba’s political picture. At a time when Kapurthala Congress legislator Rana Gurjeet Singh and his son and Independent MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi Rana Inder Partap Singh are campaigning for Congress candidate Karamjit Chaudhary, a third member from the same family has emerged on the scenario and has defiantly stood against them.

Rana Hardeep Singh (55), who is the nephew of Rana Gurjeet Singh, had recently joined AAP and is working actively there. He is son of Rana Gurjeet Singh’s elder brother Rana Mahinderjit Singh, who passed away last year, and is running a paper mill in Uttarakhand. His presence in the area is not being liked by Rana Gurjeet’s aide and Shahkot MLA Hardev S Laddi Sherowalia, who was comfortable in his segment ahead of Rana Hardeep Singh’s entry into politics.

Perturbed over the growing graph of the AAP, Congress leaders, including ex-CM Charanjit Channi, ex-minister Tript Rajinder Bajwa and MP Manish Tewari, came in support of Laddi and organised a massive rally at Ramgarhia Chowk in Shahkot’s central area. Post rally, Channi held a press conference targeting Rana Hardeep Singh. He termed him a proclaimed offender and alleged that since his joining AAP, the government had provided him a gypsy and four security guards for protection. Rana Hardeep has outrightly denied these charges.

Both AAP and Congress leaders are crossing swords with each other in the area claiming to be getting the support of sarpanches and panches. Rana Gurjeet Singh had recently said, “My nephew had come to me to tell that he has made up his mind to join AAP. I tried to dissuade him but to no avail.”

Rana Hardeep, on the other hand, said, “We have no dispute in the family. Like my uncle and cousin, I too have political ambitions. I have been trying to get a chance since 2007 but it has somehow come now and I did not want to miss it. There was no scope for me in Congress as the party does not give two ticket in the same family.”

All from same family

Congress legislator Rana Gurjeet Singh and his son and Independent MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi Rana Inder Partap Singh are campaigning for Congress candidate Karamjit Chaudhary. A third member from the same family Rana Hardeep Singh has defiantly stood against them.

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