#KnowYourVote: Is Badal’s supremacy in danger after hat-trick in Bathinda? BJP-SAD alliance in question

The Bathinda Lok Sabha contest has been fairly one sided in Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) favour. However, with the absence of alliance with BJP, sitting MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal could face a tough challenge in the elections this year as she has been dependent on BJP’s urban voters for victory. Lack of an alliance could result in a fight between Congress and AAP for victory with Harsimrat Badal trailing behind.

In case of no alliance, BJP is likely to Saroop Chand Singla as its candidate for Lok Sabha. In this case, BJP will be contesting for Lok Sabha seat in Bathinda for the first time since the first elections in 1967. As per sources, Congress State president Raja Warring’s wife Amrita Warring, former Congress MLAs Jeet Mahinder Sidhu and Moosewala’s father, Balkaur Singh are in discussion to be likely candidates. From AAP's side, Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddiyan will be contesting the elections from Bathinda.

In general election of 2009, Harsimrat Kaur defeated Yuvraj Raninder singh (Son of Captain Amarinder Singh) with margin of 1,20,948 votes. In 2014`s general election she defeated Manpreet Badal with margin of 19,395 votes and in 2019, Amarinder Singh Raja warring lost to Harsimrat Badal with a margin of 21,722 votes. The Bathinda constituency has voted for SAD in each of the last 4 general elections, sending Badal to the parliament on three of those four occasions.

After breaking the alliance with BJP, Akali Dal has not been able to get any major work done in the area. In light of this gathering votes for them in urban areas can be a big challenge. Being with BJP helped her immensely helping her get the votes from the urban areas.

Issues promised to be raised by Harsimrat Kaur Badal:

State issues: Drug addiction, shortage of doctors and nurses, expensive education.

Local issues: Chandigarh sand link, cancer and contaminated water

Contaminated Water:

• The M raised the issue of contaminated water of Malwa several times in the Parliament, but still no solution could be found. It holds industry primarily responsible for ground contaminated water.

Bathinda-Delhi flight restarted:

• Harsimrat Kaur Badal had demanded in the Parliament to stop the condition of passport for visiting Kartarpur Sahib, but it was not accepted.
• She also raised the issue of developing Dera Baba Nanak into a Sikh Heritage City.
•  There was a demand to develop tourism facilities in Punjab for Sri Amritsar Sahib and other Takht Sahibans.

The issue of students being deported from Canada.

• The issue of students deported from Canada was raised in the Parliament.
• Demands for lack of forensic lab, construction of houses for the homeless and construction of freight corridor from Amritsar to Kolkata were also placed in the Parliament.

Drug Addiction:

• The drug problem is very serious in Punjab. Harsimrat Kaur Badal had raised the issue of increasing drug addiction in the state prominently in the Parliament.
• She had also seriously raised the issue of drug and arms smuggling from the Pakistan border in the Parliament.

Shortage of doctors, nurses and medicines:

• MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal had also promised to raise the issue of shortage of doctors, nurses and medicines in Punjab in Parliament.
• Later, as per her promise, she raised the issue of shortage of medicines and oxygen besides shortage of doctors during Covid.

Lack of attention on education becoming expensive

• Harsimrat Badal had promised to raise questions in Parliament on the rising cost of education. Although she did not ask any question in this regard, she raised other issues of education in the Parliament.