In Bathinda, battle of the Badals overwhelm issues that matter

Bathinda is scary in certain ways. At close to 125 cases per one lakh population, it is among the districts in the country with very high incidence of cancer – the national average is 71 cases per one lakh population. A train running from here to Ganganagar in Rajasthan is called the ‘Cancer Express’ because it routinely carries a large number of patients. Environmentalists blame it on the chemical contamination of surface and ground water due to excessive use of pesticides and fertilizer in farming and untreated waste matter from local industries. While the jury is out on the source of cancer, the number of cases remains alarming. [caption id=“attachment_1497469” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Harsimrat Kaur Badal. AFP.[/caption] However, this does not appear to be a major poll issue for candidates in the constituency as it prepares to vote on 30 April. In fact, that is the case with all other big issues, including suicide by cotton farmers. While the usual promises, assurances and platitudes abound during campaigning, what dominates the popular imagination at this point are not issues, but personalities. Bathinda is engrossed in a high voltage electoral drama where the Badal family is fighting a war for political legacy, making it primarily a Badal versus Badal contest. On one side of the battle line is Harsimrat Kaur, sitting Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP and wife of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. She is up against Manpreet Singh Badal, estranged nephew of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is fighting on a Congress-PPP-CPI ticket. Five years ago when Harsimrat won the election from Bathinda, it was Manpreet who had helped her in election campaign. She beat Raninder Singh, son of former Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, by a handsome margin of over one lakh votes. The circumstances are different now. Manpreet moved out of the party and formed the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) to contest the Punjab assembly elections in 2012. It was an unsuccessful move though. Aided by the Congress and the CPI this time he expects to put up a strong challenge to Harsimrat. The Badals have left nothing to chance to retain the constituency, keeping in mind the anti-incumbency factor against the SAD-BJP alliance in the state in its second consecutive term. With so much at stake, Bathinda, a parliamentary seat which became a general constituency in the 2009 delimitation exercise, has been declared as a super-sensitive parliamentary constituency by the Election Commission. Despite having a clean image, Manpreet Badal, has not been able to win people’s vote and support in the region ever since he broke away from the Badal family. The later are determined to keep their traditional vote bank intact. The attack from their side has been full blown. The ‘family’ has been calling him a `Congress agent’ and a `backstabber’. Many, particularly the educated and aware, concede that Manpreet is a good candidate. He studied abroad, has good oratorical skills and a person with clarity of thinking. A practical man, he had opposed the subsidy policy of the SAD-BJP government when he was the Finance minister of Punjab. He was against providing free power to the Punjab farmers, besides other subsidies, which was putting a heavy strain on the Punjab economy and public debt was increasing rapidly, reaching almost rupees one lakh crore today and the state has been finding it difficult to pay even the salaries to its huge staff. But the Badals, who have heavily depended on doling out largesse to people to garner votes for themselves rejected Manpreet’s policies. As differences grew between the Badals, Manpreet had no choice, but to resign and leave the SAD. Manpreet realises there is an anti-incumbency factor working against the ruling SAD-BJP government. “Punjab’s leaders should strictly practice austerity to improve state’s fiscal condition. I tried to bring austerity to the state, but was thrown out. I would push for the early onset of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline (TAPI) which will cross from Fazilka giving jobs to the youth in the process. It is necessary to check the drugs problem and take action against corruption,” says Manpreet. Harsimrat is depending on the development works in the constituency. She had become active in social work through the Nanhi Chhan project (grow more trees) and Sangat Darshan in Bathinda constituency. In the 2009 Lok Sabha election she had polled 5.2 lakh votes compared to 4.08 lakh votes polled by Raninder Singh of the Congress and 35,000 votes by the BSP. Now with a weak AAP candidate in Jassi Jasraj, the main contest is between Harsimrat and Manpreet Singh Badal. Being the home district of the Badals, the Bathinda constituency received several developmental projects and funds for the populist schemes. It was alleged that wary of Manpreet’s growing influence, the Badals resorted to the political gimmick of fielding a namesake of Manpreet with the surname Badal who was also allowed to use the poll symbol ‘Kite’. The election result will also depend on which way the Dera Sacha Sauda support lies. The Dera, which has a huge following in Punjab, usually keeps its cards close to its chest before the polls. In the past it has helped the Congress though. As the battle of the Badals overwhelms other issues, such as the incidence of cancer, have to move to the back burner. A good, well-equipped hospital here could be a huge relief for people here. But, it seems, they have to wait.