The common man who broke the fort of the SAD Vice Chancellor
AAP leader Gurmeet Singh KhudiyanThe 59-year-old, son of former Faridkot MP late Jagdev Singh Khudiyan, the grandfather of Punjab politics and a five-time former chief minister-cum-SAD patron, emerged as a ‘huge killer’ Parkash Singh Badal From his home ground Longi.
LAMBI
will address lack of staff
My priority will be to eliminate the long-standing drug menace. Moreover, there is shortage of staff in many government institutions, which needs immediate attention. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Long MLA
Gurmeet’s father was elected to the Parliament in 1989 as a SAD (Amritsar) candidate. But within a few days he mysteriously disappeared and six days later his body was found in a canal. The family later joined the Congress.
Till last year, Gurmeet was the only Congress leader to take on Badal in Lambi. However, after being in the Congress for 30 years, Gurmeet joined AAP last July on the assurance of a party ticket from Lambi.
A matriculation pass and farmer Gurmeet was keen to contest in 2017 as well, but turned out to be the covering candidate of former CM Capt Amarinder Singh in Lambi. He was removed from the post of District Congress President after the election.
Gurmeet said: “Badal’s younger brother Gurdas used to tell people that only a common man can defeat Badal in Lambi. Now the public has proved it right.” – Archit Vats
Atal Labh Singh Ugoke hit back at the statement of ‘poor CM’
Up against outgoing CM Charanjit Singh Channi, AAP’s Bhadaur MLA Labh Singh Ugoke Confident of victory from the start, targeting them regularly with his “real vs. fake poor” narrative.
Bhadaur
Voters bear my election expenses
Money is important during elections, but I have proved that even if you don’t have it, one can contest and win. My voters have borne my election expenses. – Labh Singh rises. Bhadaur MLA
Ugoke’s humble background helped him counter Chni’s claim of being a “poor chief minister”. His father works as a driver, while his mother is a contractual sweeper in a school. He had studied till class XII and was earning his livelihood by repairing mobiles in his village. Ugoke joined the AAP in 2013 and became its block and circle president before being made the lighter in-charge. His name was considered for the ticket during the 2017 elections, but the party gave it to Piermal Singh Dhaula. Yugok continued to stay away for the party in the area.
After Dhaula joined the Congress, many had predicted the end of AAP in the constituency. Ugoke not only revived the party’s prospects with his efforts, but also defeated the Congress stalwart. According to his affidavit to the Election Commission, Ugake had assets worth Rs 1,29,634. With meager assets, Ugoke managed his campaign with the help of the residents of the area. — Parvesh Sharma
After 8 years, the eye surgeon took revenge on Channi
A minor objection to his appointment as the president of the Congressional Doctors Cell prompted the eye surgeon Dr Charanjit Singh To consider contesting the assembly elections and decide a score with the sitting MLA, his name. Eight years later, Medico defeated outgoing CM MLA Charanjit Singh Channi.
Chamkaur Sahib
Government college will be established
My priority would be to set up at least one government college and build a bridge over the Sutlej besides providing playgrounds to all the villages; City – Dr. Charanjit Singh, Chamkaur Sahib MLA
After completing his education in Chandigarh, Dr. Singh joined Government Medical College, Patiala and completed his MS from Chandigarh in 1989. After working in the public sector, Dr Singh opened a private clinic in Morinda in 2000. Known for social service. In the region, Dr. Singh has conducted over 2,000 free eye check-up camps so far, in which 45,000 surgeries have been performed free of cost.
His reputation in the region brought him closer to politicians and in 2002, he assisted Congress candidate Jagmohan Singh Kang in his victory from Morinda. In 2014, the then PCC President Pratap Singh Bajwa appointed him as the President of the Doctors Cell.
The surgeon said that he had never thought of joining active politics. But Channi opposed it. Dr Singh joined AAP in 2015 and contested for the first time in the 2017 elections. – Arun Sharma
Social work of ‘Pad Woman’ caught Kejriwal’s attention
For the first time, social workers are offering election water Jeevan Jyot Kaur50, outranked two political giants – PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and SAD leaders Bikram Singh Majithia – In the “mother of all battles” seen in the Amritsar East constituency.
Amritsar East
‘Sankalp patra’ ready
I have prepared ‘Sankalp Patra’. People need efficient sewage system and road connectivity. I will ensure employment to drug addicted youth. – Jeevan Jyot Kaur, Amritsar former MLA
Without holding large rallies, he used his polite demeanor to his advantage in reaching out to voters.
A law graduate, Jeevan Jyot opted to set up a non-profit organization in 1996-97. Her initiative ‘Ikoshi’ to raise awareness about the ill-effects of using plastic sanitary pads earned her the title of ‘Pad Woman’.
He tied up with a Swiss firm that provides free of cost reusable sanitary pads to underprivileged women. Recently, she was distributing free reusable sanitary pads to the women prisoners lodged in the jails of Punjab. For the last two decades, she was working in the field of health, literacy, slum-rehabilitation, vocational education, women empowerment by making the deprived sections self-reliant. It was his selfless service to uplift the life of the common man that caught the eye of Arvind Kejriwal, who offered him to join the party. — GS Paul
Last-minute switchover for former mayor is in the works
43-year-old Ajit Pal Singh Kohli will make his debut in the assembly by defeating former CM Captain Amarinder Singh in his stronghold. A former mayor, Surjit Singh Kohli, father of Ajit Pal, served as a cabinet minister under the SAD-BJP regime in 2011 during the SAD-BJP tenure.
Patiala Urban
Captain paid for the inaccessibility
Captain Amarinder Singh and his companions reaped what they had sown. Corruption and his inaccessibility led to his failure as he forgot the people who had chosen him. Ajit Pal Kohli, Patiala MLA
A month before the elections, Kohli had quit SAD and joined AAP, which fielded him from Patiala Urban, the bastion of the royal family. Teaming up with AAP volunteers to put together the local unit came in handy for Kohli as there was no rift within the party when his name was announced.
So spectacular was Kohli’s victory that even the votes of Captain Amarinder and Congress candidate Vishnu Sharma were far less than theirs. Interestingly, Captain Amarinder had defeated Kohli’s father from the seat in 2002. Two decades later, his son inflicted a kind of political vendetta on Captain Amarinder.
A 43-year-old businessman has assets worth Rs 32.4 crore as per the affidavit given to the Election Commission. He completed his schooling from Yadvendra Public School and did his post graduation in Political Administration from Punjabi University in 2006. – Aman Sood
Manpreet Sahayak Gill proves his servitude
Veteran Municipal Councilor and former Manpreet Singh Badal aide Jagroop Singh Gill defeated a five-time MLA and two-time Finance Minister from Bathinda Urban seat by a record margin of 63,581 votes.
Bathinda Urban
Common Minimum Program Priority
My priority is to bring a common minimum program for the city. We will solve the problem of waterlogging and ensure law and order in the area. — Jagroop Singh Gill, Bathinda Urban MLA
The 69-year-old was first elected as a councilor in 1979, and made it to the MC again in 1992, 1997, 2007, 2015 and 2021. He also held the positions of President, Vice President and Vice President of the Improvement Trust. President of Municipal Body and President of District Bar Association. Gill served as the chairman of the district planning board, but just before the MC elections last year, he stepped down to contest.
A lawyer, Gill won the MC election for a record sixth time last year and was the front runner for Bathinda mayor’s post. But he was ignored by Manpreet, who chose councilor Raman Goel for the post for the first time. Angered by this, Gill left the Congress to join the AAP.
Gill was declared AAP’s candidate for the election and it is learned that several Congress leaders “helped” him behind the scenes. The seat has lived up to its reputation as no sitting MLA has been able to retain it except in 1962. – Sukhmeet Bhasin
Social work, resilience paid off for Goyal
AAP MLA Barinder Kumar Goel (63) stunned three political stalwarts – five-time Lehra MLA and former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, five-time MLA and former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, and former SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal. Lehra Assembly Constituency
Lehra
Bhattal, Dhindsa fail to deliver
Bhattal and Dhindsa failed to bring development to the region. I am sure that our government will do all round development in our region. Barinder Kumar Goel, Lehra MLA
Goel’s social work played an important role in winning the voters of his constituency. Goyal contested his first election in 1992 on a BJP ticket, but lost to Bhattal. Later he tried many times to get party ticket, but to no avail.
Determined to fight for the welfare of the residents of the area, Goyal formed the Lehar Vikas Manch in 2021 and started raising issues such as lack of basic amenities, including potable water and others, in the area. With his hard work he was able to get elected to the city council.
When he finally got the AAP ticket on January 21, some leaders initially opposed it. But Goyal’s engagement with the local residents paid off and he was able to overcome this hurdle. In a short time, he successfully built up his campaign and ended up defeating three big guns. — Parvesh Sharma
Kamboj’s bail confiscated in the 2019 by-elections
AAP’s 35-year-old Jagdeep Goldie Kamboj, who lost his bail money during the Jalalabad bypoll in 2019, defeated SAD president Sukhbir Badal in his stronghold. Sukhbir represented Jalalabad thrice in 2009, 2012 and 2017, but lost to a relatively lighter candidate.
Jalalabad
Will root out drug addiction
My priority is to end the drug menace and end the illegal distillation of ‘lahan’. Lack of health facilities remains a major concern. Jagdeep Goldie Kamboj, Jalalabad MLA
The by-election was necessitated by Sukhbir to vacate the seat after he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Ferozepur in 2019. Congress’s Raminder Singh Awla won the by-election, in which former Congress leader Kamboj finished with just 5,836 votes. Kamboj, the then General Secretary of the All India Youth Congress, was expelled from the party for contesting a by-election against a party candidate. Later he joined AAP and was appointed as State President of BC Wing of Youth Wing.
Starting his career as a Youth Congress leader a decade ago, advocate Kamboj learned politics from his father, Surinder Kamboj, who twice contested from the Jalalabad seat and remained the chairman of Punjab Agricultural Development Bank, Jalalabad. Kamboj also served as the in-charge of Jump, Kashmir and Haryana Youth Congress for many years. — Praful Chander Nagpali