Moga October 17:
After receiving a setback in the recently held SGPC elections in the Dharamkot area, the local Akali stalwart Jathedar Tota Singh still hopes that the ruling SAD would stage a comeback in the local politics in the forthcoming assembly elections.
He recently decided to shift his political base from Moga to Dharamkot, a purely rural constituency. It was converted into a general seat after delimitation by the Election Commission paving the way for him, he being a Jat Sikh, to contest the assembly election from here. He has been pinning hopes on the rural vote bank to stage a comeback after the assembly election.
It may be mentioned that two local Akali leaders Kuldip Singh Dhose and Sukhjeet Singh Kaka parted ways with the ruling party alleging the Jathedar’s interference in local politics. Dhose joined hands with Manpreet Badal while Kaka won the SGPC election as a rebel independent candidate and is now eyeing assembly ticket. Under such a situation, this seat won’t be a cakewalk for the SAD, though there is a ‘myth’ prevailing among the local Akalis that despite these two defections the ruling party could still win the coming elections from here by showering public funds to the panchayats and local organisations.
In 1997, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sheetal Singh won the election from this erstwhile reserved constituency for three consecutive terms. In 1992, when the Akalis boycotted the polls, Baldev Singh Bhatti of the BSP won the election. In 1985, Gurdev Singh Gill of the Congress and in 1980 and 1997 Sarwan Singh of the CPI was declared elected twice. Going by the historical background of Dharamkot for the past three decades, this seat could not be termed as an Akali bastion. But of late, efforts are being made by Jathedar Tota Singh to win over the masses by influencing the government to shower money in this area for development.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, during his visit to the area on October 12 and October 13 as part of the Sangat Darshan programme, disbursed grants worth Rs 6.07 crore for the development of 146 villages of Dharamkot assembly segment, besides laying the foundation stones of 66 KV power sub-stations at Fatehgarh Kortana and Kot Mohammed Khan villages to be constructed at an estimated Rs 3.5 crore each. Badal also announced to upgrade the status of Kot-ise-Khan village to nagar panchayat, besides making it a sub-tehsil. Last month, the state government granted Dharamkot the status of a subdivision, probably to influence the masses.
The Akali leaders claim that this was for the first time that huge grants had been distributed in the villages of the area alleging that the previous governments had failed to carry out developmental works. Former Medical Education and Health Minister Dr Malti Thapar of the Congress claims that doling out public funds would not work in favour of the SAD as anti-incumbency factor was prevailing in the area. “There is also an infighting going on among the Akalis, therefore, the chances of Congress winning this seat are bright,” she added.
After receiving a setback in the recently held SGPC elections in the Dharamkot area, the local Akali stalwart Jathedar Tota Singh still hopes that the ruling SAD would stage a comeback in the local politics in the forthcoming assembly elections.
He recently decided to shift his political base from Moga to Dharamkot, a purely rural constituency. It was converted into a general seat after delimitation by the Election Commission paving the way for him, he being a Jat Sikh, to contest the assembly election from here. He has been pinning hopes on the rural vote bank to stage a comeback after the assembly election.
It may be mentioned that two local Akali leaders Kuldip Singh Dhose and Sukhjeet Singh Kaka parted ways with the ruling party alleging the Jathedar’s interference in local politics. Dhose joined hands with Manpreet Badal while Kaka won the SGPC election as a rebel independent candidate and is now eyeing assembly ticket. Under such a situation, this seat won’t be a cakewalk for the SAD, though there is a ‘myth’ prevailing among the local Akalis that despite these two defections the ruling party could still win the coming elections from here by showering public funds to the panchayats and local organisations.
In 1997, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sheetal Singh won the election from this erstwhile reserved constituency for three consecutive terms. In 1992, when the Akalis boycotted the polls, Baldev Singh Bhatti of the BSP won the election. In 1985, Gurdev Singh Gill of the Congress and in 1980 and 1997 Sarwan Singh of the CPI was declared elected twice. Going by the historical background of Dharamkot for the past three decades, this seat could not be termed as an Akali bastion. But of late, efforts are being made by Jathedar Tota Singh to win over the masses by influencing the government to shower money in this area for development.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, during his visit to the area on October 12 and October 13 as part of the Sangat Darshan programme, disbursed grants worth Rs 6.07 crore for the development of 146 villages of Dharamkot assembly segment, besides laying the foundation stones of 66 KV power sub-stations at Fatehgarh Kortana and Kot Mohammed Khan villages to be constructed at an estimated Rs 3.5 crore each. Badal also announced to upgrade the status of Kot-ise-Khan village to nagar panchayat, besides making it a sub-tehsil. Last month, the state government granted Dharamkot the status of a subdivision, probably to influence the masses.
The Akali leaders claim that this was for the first time that huge grants had been distributed in the villages of the area alleging that the previous governments had failed to carry out developmental works. Former Medical Education and Health Minister Dr Malti Thapar of the Congress claims that doling out public funds would not work in favour of the SAD as anti-incumbency factor was prevailing in the area. “There is also an infighting going on among the Akalis, therefore, the chances of Congress winning this seat are bright,” she added.
