The ongoing revolt in Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) over the leadership of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal has cast a shadow on the Dalit-dominated Jalandhar West (reserve) bypoll, which is scheduled for July 10. The votes will be counted on July 13.
In a dramatic turn of events, Surjit Kaur, the SAD candidate for Jalandhar West bypoll, the only urban reserve assembly constituency in Jalandhar, first joined AAP in the presence of chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday morning but rejoined SAD by late evening. Around 9 pm Tuesday, Surjit Kaur was back to the SAD fold again.
Surjit Kaur’s decision to join AAP came in the wake of the ongoing rift in the SAD over the presidency of Sukhbir Singh Badal. Despite being the official candidate, the SAD disowned her, as she was the choice of SAD’s rebel group leaders, former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur and ex-MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala who have revolted against Sukhbir Badal. However, the SAD could not withdraw her candidature on time and she remains the official SAD candidate from the constituency. Meanwhile, the SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal led group has announced its support to the party’s former alliance partner, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
SAD leaders. Photo: Facebook page of Prem Singh Chandumajra.
Notably, a war of words was on between Sukhbir Singh Badal’s supporters who wanted him to continue as party president and the rebel SAD leaders, who have been demanding change in SAD leadership as the party was witnessing repeated downfall since the 2017 assembly elections. Even during the recently held Jalandhar Lok Sabha polls, SAD finished fourth with just 67,911 votes.
The SAD candidate’s joining was seen as a big shot in the arm for the ruling AAP, which was not leaving anything to chance to win the bypoll. AAP has fielded ex-BJP leader Mohinder Bhagat, whose father Chuni Lal Bhagat remained a cabinet minister in the previous SAD-BJP government and was still with the BJP.
Surjit Kaur had joined AAP on Tuesday morning in the presence of chief minister Bhagwant Mann at his residence in Jalandhar amidst much fanfare. On Monday too, as many as three councillors joined AAP namely Jagdish Samrai, Parvesh Tangri and Raj Kumar Raju giving it a much-needed fillip in the bypoll.
After rejoining the SAD late Tuesday evening, Surjit Kaur remained mum over the developments and the reasons behind her decision. Her sons, SAD rebel group leaders, former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur and ex-MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala and party supporters spoke on her behalf.
Addressing the media, Bibi Jagir Kaur said that while SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal disowned Surjit Kaur because of her modest background, AAP used and ridiculed her background. “She (Surjit Kaur) was misled by AAP leaders, who took her along to join the party. Surjit Kaur’s family has been a staunch Akali supporter for the last 40 years. She did everything in nervousness but we stood by her. Surjit Kaur will be contesting the election as the official SAD candidate and we will campaign for her”, she said.
To a query about who forced her to join AAP, a subdued Surjit Kaur said, “We have been with the ‘panth’ for the last 40 years; we cannot imagine ourselves in any other party. Whatever we did was wrong. We repent the wrong step taken by us,” she said.
However, earlier after joining the AAP, Surjit Kaur while thanking chief minister Bhagwant Mann had said, “I am joining AAP to support the people of Jalandhar West who approach me for help and work. While AAP is working for the people and their development, Sukhbir Badal denied my candidature and any kind of help, so I am joining AAP.”
Also read: Akali Dal Rebels ‘Atone’ for Four Major ‘Mistakes’ That Led to Party’s Political Downfall
AAP Lok Sabha candidate Pawan Kumar Tinu had also said that Surjit Kaur’s husband Jathedar Pritam Singh served the people of Jalandhar and worked tirelessly for the ‘Panth’. “Everyone is aware of the condition of SAD today and it is hopeless. On the other hand, the AAP government is taking Punjab forward on the path of progress and development”, he had said.
The Jalandhar West bypoll was necessitated after AAP MLA Sheetal Angural defected to the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. After the Lok Sabha polls, Sheetal Angural decided to rejoin AAP but by that time his resignation was accepted by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker, hence the bypoll.
A five-cornered contest was on in Jalandhar West bypoll, where Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded ex-BJP leader Manohar Bhagat; Congress banked on its trusted name from the constituency Surinder Kaur, who is a four-time councillor and remained Senior Deputy Mayor in Jalandhar Municipal Corporation; BJP fielded Sheetal Angural, who was previously AAP MLA from Jalandhar West while SAD gave ticket to Surjit Kaur. The BSP has fielded Binder Kumar Lakha, whom the SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal declared support after Surjit Kaur’s allegiance to the SAD rebel group.
Bhagwant Mann’s aggressive campaign
After a dismal show in the recently concluded Lok Sabha Elections, where AAP could win just three seats out of the total 13, the AAP leadership was in no mood to take Jalandhar bypoll lightly.
Moreover, losing Jalandhar West bypoll would mean losing sway in the Dalit-dominated Doaba belt, as the party had to bite the dust in the parliamentary polls in 2024 and it also failed to make inroads in the 2022 assembly elections.
It was for this reason that chief minister Bhagwant Mann rented a bungalow in Jalandhar and announced to frequently stay in this house for better liaison with the Doaba and Majha regions of Punjab.
In a post on X, the CM had shared that earlier people from Majha and Doaba regions had to go to Chandigarh to get their work done. “However, now their issues would be resolved here only. We are making all possible efforts to reduce the hassle of people and to have direct contact with the people”, he stated on X.
Further to influence the Bhagat community, which is a prominent section in Jalandhar West constituency, CM Mann during a state-level event on the 626th parkash utsav of Sant Kabir in Hoshiarpur also announced to set up Bhagat Kabir Dham for extensive research on the life and philosophy of the revered saint.
On Tuesday, SAD candidate Surjit Kaur’s joining was also held at the residence of CM Bhagwant Mann in Jalandhar. The CM’s move has made Jalandhar, the second political capital of Punjab other than Chandigarh.
Hub of leather traders
An urban reserve constituency, the Dalit-dominated Jalandhar West assembly constituency is primarily the hub of the Ravidassia community and is famous as the leather and sports trader’s hub.
A majority of the leather and sports traders whether smaller units or the international names hail from this constituency, which is also known as Buta Mandi, the traditional rural name of this area. Nearly every house, whether small or big, was directly or indirectly involved in the leather tanning, marketing, and sports goods manufacturing business. The constituency is also famous for the Satguru Ravidass Dham, a prominent religious place of Guru Ravidas built in the 1930s.
The Jalandhar West constituency has three major communities – the Ravidassia, Sialkotis, which means people who came from Sialkot, Pakistan after partition but were either Dalits or those from the general castes and the Bhagat community, also known as a Kabirpanthis, the followers of Sant Kabir.
While Congress and SAD candidates namely Surinder Kaur and Surjit Kaur both belong to the Ravidasia community, AAP candidate Mohinder Bhagat hail from the Kabirpanthi community. BJP’s Sheetal Angural was also a Dalit but from Sialkot, Pakistan and is commonly called Sialkoti. The Jalandhar West constituency has around 35,000 Ravidassia voters and an approximate 30,000 Kabirpanthis.
