Bathinda to witness battle royale: wife of deputy CM, ex-CM?s son cross swords

The contest for the Bathinda seat is likely to be the focus of the Parliamentary elections in Punjab?s 13 Lok Sabha seats.

With the ruling Akali Dal announcing Harsimrat Kaur, wife of Akali Dal president and Punjab?s deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, as the party?s candidate from the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, and Congress fielding Raninder Singh (Tikku), son of Congress leader and former chief minister Amarinder Singh, a royal battle seems to be on the cards in this high profile constituency.

A number of contestants are relatives of politicians. The announcement of candidates by the Congress for the state has Amarinder Singh?s wife Preneet Kaur (Patiala) among the names. Preneet Kaur will face senior Akali Dal leader Prem Singh Chandumajra for the Patiala seat.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal has been taking keen interest in social and political activities for quite sometime. She came to prominence when she started the movement for tree plantation and distributed plant saplings under a campaign, Nanhi Chhan. In the second phase of the campaign, she distributed saplings in the Malwa belt. In the last elections, she had campaigned for her husband Sukhbir Singh Badal and was closely involved in the framing of the party manifesto. Her contribution to the victory of party candidates was recognised by the party during the last Assembly elections when the Badals together with Bharatiya Janta Party defeated Congress in Punjab.

Paramjit Kaur of the Shiromani Akali Dal had represented this constituency in the last Lok Sabha. It is first time that this constituency has been declared a general constituency after the reorganisation of constituencies in Punjab.

There are other parties including Akali Dal (Maan), the CPI and Bahujan Samaj Party who have fielded their candidates.

However, contests are likely to be focused on candidates from the Shiromani Akali Dal, which would be contesting 10 out of 13 seats, and its partner BJP, which would be contesting three seats, and the Congress party, which is contested all the 13 seats.

For the Sangrur seat, Amarinder Singh?s close confidant and former Punjab Youth Congress leader Vijay Inder Singla has been named by the Congress.

He will take on former union minister and Akali Dal leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. In the newly created Anandpur Sahib constituency, the Congress has fielded a youth leader, Ravneet Singh Bittu. He is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.