Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s predictions of a ‘sweeping victory’ for the Shiromani Akali Dal in the forthcoming Punjab polls seem to be at odds with the picture in his home-turf Lambi. Here, the Big Badal faces a tough challenge from his cousin Congress nominee Mahesh Inder Singh Badal. The Congress nominee, it appears, is by no means a walkover. Mahesh Inder Singh Badal is said to have maintained extensive contact with voters in the past five years and has also inherited the goodwill of his father — the late Teja Singh, Parkash Singh Badal’s political mentor. The lesser-known Badal feels things have changed in a big way since the last election. The Congress has done a lot for the farmers and this has given the party image a big boost, he feels. “This is a fight of a humble Congress supporter with a big man in politics. Parkash Singh has been chief minister thrice. It is a fight for respect and dignity against power,” says Mahesh Inder Singh Badal. Parkash Singh Badal, on the other hand, claims that the people of the constituency recognise the development work done by him during the SAD-BJP regime. “People are wise, they know who they have to vote for,” he adds. Sources reveal that Badal has been capitalising on “his image” and the fact that he had been the chief minister earlier. Sources say that the constituency comprising 67 villages has dedicated supporters of both leaders. They further claim that voters in Lambi are hardliners who expect a lot from the leaders. There is a sizeable Dalit population which will play a decisive role in tilting the scales. This is probably the first time in the recent years that the Congress has fielded a strong candidate against Parkash Singh Badal. Also in the fray is Atinder Pal Singh, the SAD (International) candidate, better known for his alleged involvement in the conspiracy behind former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s murder. Barring the 1992 Assembly polls, the key constituency of Punjab has been retained by SAD (B) candidates since the 1977 state elections. People gave Parkash Singh Badal the mandate to represent them in the state assembly twice — in 1997 and in 2002. In the last Assembly election, the SAD (B) supremo garnered over 50,000 votes while Mahesh Inder Singh Badal, fighting against him as an Independent got around 27,000 votes. The official candidate pitched against Badal by the Congress, Gurnam Singh Abulkhurana, had lost his deposit. Parkash Singh Badal says that though he shares the wall of his house with Mahesh Inder Singh, he is ready to face his cousin as a political rival. Evidently, “There is nothing personal in this political fight,” as Mahesh Inder Singh puts it.
