Jakhar thanks Cong for reposing faith
Tuesday, 25/03/2014
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Fatehgarh Sahib : By fielding Nabha MLA Sadhu Singh Dharamsot from Fatehgarh Sahib (Reserve) constituency, the Congress high command has made an attempt to eliminate the chances of rebellion in the party folds. Earlier it was speculated that the ticket would be decided in favour of Dr Amar Singh - a close confidant of former MP Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh and former Punjab Congress president Shamsher Singh Dullo was among the front runners.
However, talking to the Daily Post from Delhi on Monday, Dullo said that he was always in favour of the ticket being given to a party worker and now he would make all efforts for the success of Dharamsot. DP
Evaluating all the given circumstances, the Congress high command finally, on Monday, fielded party’s Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Sunil Jakhar to take on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) nominee Sher Singh Gubaya from Ferozepur Lok Sabha seat.
Jakhar, who is a three-time MLA from Abohar, enjoys his family legacy in the political arena of the state as well as the Centre, considering which the high command rejected the strong claims of former MP Jagmeet Singh Brar, three sitting MLAs Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi from Guru Harsahai, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring from Gidderbaha and two former MLAs Hans Raj Josan from Jalalabad and Harnirpal Singh Kuku, all in one go.
Interestingly, Jakhar was not among two dozen Congress leaders who applied for the ticket, but finding him to be one of the best options, the high command during a full board meeting held on March 7 discussed his name for the seat and even asked about his willingness, to which he was found interested in entering the next level of his political career. Speaking to Daily Post, an elated Jakhar thanked the party high command for reposing faith in him and hoped that he would perform up to the expectations.
On being asked about the claim of his party colleague Hans Raj Josan, who had been banking upon the strong vote bank of his community-Kamboj, Jakhar flatly declined indulging into it, and said, “I feel our voter is aware. I don’t believe in such claims and perhaps the party high command too doesn’t give it much weightage. For the Congress, it is the work that speaks not such community cards.”
Questioned, how would he be able to take all the party leaders of his constituency along as majority of them had been lobbying hard to get the ticket which he got without even applying for, Jakhar said, “At first, it is the choice of the party high command so I hope everyone would go by it. Secondly, seeking ticket is the right of every leader but once it is declared I am sure that they all would work in the interest of the party, and moving ahead with a team spirit we would take on the Akali candidate.”
About the challenge in whole, a confident Jakhar said, “I am sure to do well as I have many things to count on while seeking votes from masses. People, I believe, will surely pose faith in the Congress for the UPA’s giving to the nation in general and the border constituency in particular.”
Despite his claims, it is pertinent to mention that the Ferozepur seat is otherwise the SAD’s hotbed, with the party not allowing any rival to dispossess it since 1998, four times in a row. This time, the Akalis have fielded its time-tested sitting MP Sher Singh Ghubaya, who had defeated the Kamboj community representative Hans Raj Josan a number of time in the state Assembly polls and Jagmeet Brar in the last Parliament polls. This Rai Sikh candidate possesses his strength in the large presence of his community voters.
Under such circumstances where the political observers find the chances of insurgence in the Congress much strong, Jakhar would surely have to put lot of leg work before snatching the seat from the Akali candidate.
