Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa’s ‘interest’ in Batala may prove Achilles’ heel for Congress

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Batala, July 25

The Batala Assembly seat, considered to be a safe bet for the Congress, is witnessing a no-holds barred battle between Cabinet Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and three-time former legislator Ashwani Sekhri for political upmanship.

A one-time Capt Amarinder Singh supporter, Bajwa has now joined the ranks of newly elected Pradesh Congress Committee president Navjot Singh Sidhu. Bajwa has ushered in numerous developmental works, which are visible on ground, ever since he was made a Cabinet Minister.

In April, Bajwa took an avid interest in appointing his supporter, Sukhdeep Singh Teja, to the mayoral post. This is being seen as an indicator that he would test the political waters from this city itself.

Sources claim youth Shiromani Akali Dali (SAD) leader Ravi Karan Singh Kahlon has done a lot of ground work in the past few years in Fatehgarh Churian, forcing the minister to shift to Batala. The Akalis have already announced the candidature of Ravi from this seat.

In the 2017 Assembly elections, Bajwa had won Fatehgarh Churian with a wafer-thin margin. “This time he knows it will be difficult for him to retain his seat,” said an MLA.

However, the Cabinet Minister will face a tough challenge from three-time former Batala MLA Ashwani Sekhri, a leader who holds tremendous sway over the Hindu vote bank.

A couple of weeks ago Sekhri had threatened to join the SAD because of the “continued interference of Bajwa into his domain”. Insiders say as part of the package formula worked out between the Chief Minister, state Congress unit and Sekhri, he will be allowed to retain the candidature from Batala seat.

Sekhri’s candidature has been given a massive push following assertions made by the powerful Hindu industrial lobby that the seat should be given to a Hindu, keeping in view the fact that more than 50 per cent of the voters belong to this community.

“Batala could turn out to be the last in the list of seats to be announced by the PCC,” said a senior leader. Observers say the squabbling between the two leaders is lowering the morale of the party rank and file.

Meanwhile, residents are a happy lot, keeping in view the various development works that are underway in the city. “We know neither Sekhri nor Bajwa. All we know is that the civic amenities are improving,” said Jagjot Singh Sandhu, an RTI activist.