Punjab elections: Between Ashu and his hattrick hope, friends-turned-foes who know secrets

But in this urban constituency, consisting of both Hindu and Sikh voters with few posh localities and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) campus at its heart, what has been irking residents is that beneath the layers of glittery and much hyped Smart City project are a whole lot of festering issues — traffic snarls, incessant cutting of trees, and lack of parking space for vehicles.

For Ashu, a three-time councillor from Ludhiana who won his first Assembly election from here in 2012 and then in 2017, and was inducted as Food and Civil Supplies minister in the Cabinet of former CM Captain Amarinder Singh in 2018, it is not just the anti-incumbency that might stop his smooth sail. There is another challenge — his rival candidates are none other than his own friends-turned-foes, who are now spilling the beans.

But according to Ashu (50), who started his political career in 1997 as a councillor, his list of development works is so long that no propaganda would stand in front of it.

Better known as Pandit ji in his constituency, Ashu, whose family owns dairy business in the city, says: “Traffic congestion is a problem and focus has been on solving it with new infrastructure projects such as elevated Ferozepur road, BRS Nagar canal bridge, Pakhowal road RUB etc. Smart City projects in Sarabha Nagar and Malhar road are near completion. If some trees have been cut for projects, we have also created five new Leisure Valleys and Sidhwan Canal Waterfront for people to enjoy greenery. Nearly 30 acres has been converted into a green belt. Nine compactors have been installed to solve garbage problem. We are also focusing on upgrading sports facilities for youths.

Both government colleges are now equipped with solar plants. It is our work that will speak when voters will decide. Development is my only agenda.”

As he aims for a hattrick of wins, he faces a problem: his rivals know him way too well.

Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, four-time Congress councillor and former party district (urban) president is now AAP candidate, who has worked with Ashu for several years. Another is Tarun Jain Bawa, a dyeing and textile unit owner and now Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) candidate.

Gogi, who is contesting his first Assembly election, is countering Ashu’s campaign with the hashtag “Ashu- Man of False Promises”. Riding a scooter, cleaning roads with a jhaadu and eating food in the houses of the poor, he is working hard to shed the image of being a Congress leader– the party for which he worked for 22 years before joining AAP.

Gogi says: “Ludhiana was among the first set of cities selected for Smart City Project funds that came have been misused to benefit certain private companies. Does Smart City mean installing interlocking tiles in entire city without any planning or need? Not a single project has been completed till now. People in several colonies are not getting clean drinking water. Roads are in bad shape. What development is Ashu talking about? He has even got 24,000 fake voters registered using his muscle power. Buddha Nullah stream is still unclean. Yes, I too was a part of Congress for 20 years but I do not have a single graft allegation against me unlike him.”

Meanwhile, BJP candidate from the constituency, advocate Bikram Singh Sidhu, also contesting his first Assembly election, is betting on Kartarpur Corridor, Ram temple at Ayodhya and abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir as achievements among urban Hindu and Sikh voters. His posters also mention a special note: “Beadbiyaan sambandhi sakht kanoon laagu karange (we will implement stern laws against the sacrilege).”

He explains how four of his rival candidates — Ashu, Gogi, Bawa and SAD candidate Maheshinder Singh Grewal — are ‘interlinked’.
“Ashu and Grewal have family relations. Bawa is the one who has links with everyone — he fell apart with Ashu over some monetary dispute over funds for Buddha Nullah cleaning, he then went to SAD, BJP, Congress and BJP again and then Congress again. What are you trying to tell voters of Ludhiana?” asks Sidhu.

He also rakes up past incidents in which Ashu was accused of misbehaving with a district education officer and tossing the turban of a Congress worker.

“Entire city knows about his arrogance. He is working under a CM candidate like Charanjit Singh Channi who was accused of misbehaving with an IAS officer and crores have been recovered from his nephew’s house,” says Sidhu.

“Grewal hasn’t done a single work for Ludhiana till date. Gogi spent entire life in Congress and has now joined AAP. All of them are the same,” says Sidhu while promising a university and an AIIMS-level hospital for Ludhiana if BJP comes to power.

SAD candidate Grewal, one-time MLA from Ludhiana West (1997), who also lost Lok Sabha polls from Ludhiana in 2019, says: “Interlocking tiles are being installed across constituency just because they are being purchased from Ashu’s close aides. He (Ashu) did not spend a single penny on health and education in his two tenures as MLA. During Covid, he failed to provide relief to people. There is no law and order in entire city. Ashu also protected his aides who were involved in supplying chemicals for illegal distilleries. Even posh colonies are underdeveloped, what to say about basic amenities for slums etc.”

SSM candidate Bawa, who supported farmers in their agitation and is a known businessman, is meanwhile busy in making his symbol ‘manja’ (cot) popular among urban voters. He tells them: “There are four legs of a cot, just like four pillars of our society. Farmers who grow food for us, labourers who build for us, shopkeepers and manufacturers. Tagdi tey na phull, na jhaadu na panja, iss waar saareya ne jitaana manja.”

He also attacks Congress in his campaign and rakes up Ludhiana City Centre project lying defunct since Captain Amarinder Singh’s first tenure as the CM.

Adding to Ashu’s troubles this time is also dismissed DSP Balwinder Singh Sekhon, who is contesting as an Independent against him, “not to win but to get a platform to talk about the injustice done with him” and to make voters aware of “leaders such as Ashu”.

He has been campaigning across the city in a customized jeep. Sekhon, a PPS officer, was dismissed from the service in August last year after a no holds barred altercation between him and Ashu over the alleged CLU scam.

Voters, meanwhile, say they are looking for a “change”.

“After becoming minister, Ashu has been mostly inaccessible. He stays in Chandigarh and doesn’t hold public meetings to listen to people. Roads in the constituency have been dug up. Traffic problem has increased. Thousands of trees have been chopped. There was actually no need of elevated road project on Ferozepur road. It has only added to traffic problem,” said a voter.

“They are talking about a Dalit CM. I not a Dalit but am poor. Why no help for us? Why caste should be a factor while giving help?” asked a homemaker.

In 2017, Ashu had defeated AAP’s Ahbaab Grewal by a margin of 36,521 votes.

Ashu, whose wife Mamta Ashu is also a councillor and backbone of his election campaign, says: “It won’t be a wave but Congress tsunami this time.”