Gurdaspur bypoll: Jakhar, Salaria file nominations

Jakhar(R) said BJP’s decision to field Salaria(L) had come as a relief for him as he was a big fan of Vinod Khanna and contesting against his wife Kavita would have burdened his heart.

The Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar filed his nomination papers for the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha by-election in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday. Former Gurdaspur MP and now Congress Rajya Sabha member Partap Singh Bajwa was absent. Apparently, he was not happy with Jakhar getting the ticket. Barring Bajwa, all the Congress MLAs from Gurdaspur were present.

Amarinder claimed the Congress would contest the Gurdaspur by-election on the plank of development. He also tried to play down the “outsider” tag on Jakhar and said that Punjab, being a small state, cannot be divided in such small terms. “Punjab had been divided several times since Partition and it’s a pity that we still think in such terms. How can a Punjabi not be of Punjab?” said the CM, while replying to the BJP and SAD allegations that Jakhar was an outsider.

The Captain said though he belonged to Patiala, he had successfully contested the Amritsar Lok Sabha election and the voters there had never considered him an outsider. “Opponents raise such petty issues in an attempt to mislead voters,” he said, adding that even the late actor and MP Vinod Khanna, whose death had necessitated the by-poll, hailed from Mumbai.

Replying to a question on farm loan waiver, the CM said the Cabinet had approved the draft notification and it would be issued after clearance from the Election Commission. He said he did not foresee any objections from the EC as the announcement to waive crop loan up to Rs 2 lakh for small and marginal farmers (up to 5 acres) and a relief of Rs 2 lakh for the remaining marginal farmers was made him in the House in June. He added that money for projects worth Rs 750 crore in Gurdaspur and Pathankot had already been sanctioned and work had begun.

Taking a dig at BJP candidate Swaran Singh Salaria, Captain said, “What can he do for the constituency when he failed to even run his own medical college in Chintpurini, jeopardising the careers of 1800 students.” He further stated that the High Court had ordered the closure of Salaria’s college and his government had sought permission from MCI to adjust the students in other medical colleges of the state to secure their future.

Dubbing Salaria as a wheeler-dealer, Amarinder said a month ago, the former had approached him for a Congress ticket and now wangled one from BJP. “He is only interested in making money,” said the CM, adding that Salaria would never leave his business interests in Mumbai for the people of the constituency.

Jakhar said BJP’s decision to field Salaria had come as a relief for him as he was a big fan of Vinod Khanna and contesting against his wife Kavita would have burdened his heart. He said BJP was a party of businessmen and had hence chosen Salaria.

Salaria gets Kavita’s support

BJP candidate Swarn Singh Salaria on Friday filed his nomination papers in the presence of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and state BJP president Vijay Sampla. However, his biggest relief was the presence of Kavita Khanna, a strong contender for the party ticket herself after the death of Vinod Khanna. There were reports that Kavita was not happy with Salaria getting the ticket. She, however, stood by Salaria on Friday.

Salaria said, “The Captain’s government has failed in the first six months. They have been exposed and now people will punish the Captain’s government in the Gurdaspur by-election. Congress made promises and now stepped back from fulfilling them. People have been watching all this.” He added, “Jakhar is an outsider. He knows nothing about Gurdaspur. I have worked here for a long time. People know me and they will vote for me because I am easy to approach.”