Punjab assembly elections: Campaigning draws to a close in Mohali with road shows, rallies

Feb 19,2022

The five-week, aggressive campaigning for the three assembly seats in Mohali district ended on Friday with multiple roads shows and election rallies.

As many as 7.94 lakh voters from Mohali (urban), Kharar and Dera Bassi will be voting on February 20 to elect their next representatives.

All major parties roped in “star campaigners” over the past one month to woo voters.

The BJP brought in Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, Union minister for aviation and urban affairs Hardeep Puri, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, and Haryana speaker Gian Chand Gupta and sports minister Sandeep Singh to bolster its campaign in the district.

For the AAP, its national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann and Punjab co-incharge Raghav Chadha pushed its campaign.

Congress’ star campaigners included All-India Congress Committee (AICC) national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Punjab in-charge Harish Chaudhary and Bhojpuri actor-cum-singer Khesari Lal Yadav, while SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and INLD MLA from Ellenabad Abhay Singh Chautala canvassed for the SAD-BSP candidates.

As many as 40 candidates are in the fray from the three assembly seats. In Mohali urban, Congress’ sitting MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu is facing challenge from SAD’s Parvinder Singh Sohana and AAP’s Kulwant Singh, besides Sanyukt Samaj Morcha’s (SSM) Ravneet Brar and BJP’s Sanjeev Vashisht.

In Dera Bassi, SAD’s sitting MLA NK Sharma is up against Congress’ Deepinder Singh Dhillon, AAP’s Kuljeet Singh Randhawa, BJP’s Sanjeev Khanna and SSM’s Navjot Saini.

In Kharar, a multi-cornered fight is set up between Congress candidate Vijay Sharma Tinku, SAD’s Ranjit Singh Gill, AAP’s Anmol Gagan Mann, Punjab Lok Congress’ Kamaldeep Saini and SSM’s Paramdeep Singh Baidwan.

Balbir Sidhu takes out road show

Mohali Congress candidate Balbir Singh Sidhu took a road show on last day of campaigning.

Accompanied by Congress Punjab in-charge Harish Chaudhary, Sidhu started his road show from Phase 11 and covered Phases 10, 9, 8, 7, 3B2, 5 and 1, before ending it in Phase 6.

Riding on the various development works started by him in Mohali over the past five years, Sidhu is seeking fourth straight win in the assembly polls.

AAP candidate meets voters in Sec 68, Phase 4

Former mayor and AAP candidate Kulwant Singh toured through Sector 68 and Phase 4 in his final attempt to persuade voters.

Kulwant said the people of Punjab knew that only the AAP could permanently eliminate unemployment, maintain law and order and improve health services. “Major reforms are required in the education system as well and can only be provided by the AAP,” he added.

People want a double-engine govt: Vashisht

BJP candidate Sanjeev Vashisht took out a road show from Phase 11. After traversing through Phases 10, 9, 8, 7 and 5, the road show ended at Balongi.

Several BJP leaders, including Haryana speaker Gian Chand Gupta, sports minister Sandeep Singh and actor Mahi Gill, accompanied Vashisht.

On the occasion, he said people of Punjab had made up their mind to vote for a “double-engine” BJP government. “People have tried parties like Congress, AAP and SAD. Now they have faith only in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is evident from the large number of people participating in the road show,” he added.

SSM will record historic victory in Mohali: Ravneet Brar

SSM’s Mohali candidate Ravneet Brar claimed that the morcha will record a historical victory in Mohali, with a large number of villagers, especially the farming community, supporting them.

Targeting AAP’s Kulwant Singh, he said Singh used money to secure a ticket. “The people of Mohali are educated and understand everything. How can a party give a ticket to a person who lost the municipal election while being the mayor of the city?” he questioned.

Sohana goes for door-to-door campaign

SAD-BSP candidate Parvinder Singh Sohana campaigned in Mohali through door-to-door visits.

Sohana said he decided against holding a road show to avoid inconvenience to commuters.

While visiting Mataur, Kumbra, Sohana and Mauli villages, he said Punjab needed a stable government for its protection and development, which was only possible through the SAD-BSP combine.

Akalis had a hand in farm laws: Dhillon

Hitting out against SAD, Congress candidate from Dera Bassi Deepinder Singh Dhillon said the Akali Dal was directly responsible for the death of over 700 farmers in the year-long protests against farm laws.

He said it was due to SAD that these laws were drafted and farmers had to spend multiple months on the streets.

While holding a road show in Zirakpur, Dhillon said the local MLA, NK Sharma, tried his best to weaken the farmers’ movement by defending a councillor who tried to divide the movement on religious lines.

‘Parkash Singh Badal, SAD biggest supporter of farmers’

INLD MLA from Ellenabad Abhay Singh Chautala campaigned in support of SAD-BSP’s Dera Bassi candidate NK Sharma, who took out a road show in Zirakpur.

While interacting with people in Peermuchalla and Baltana areas of Zirakpur, Chautala said the Akali Dal had always worked for strengthening the brotherhood, while keeping political interests behind.

Terming former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal as the biggest supporter of farmers, he said when the central government implemented the agricultural laws in the country, the only resignations were from the Akali Dal.

On the occasion, Congress spokesperson Kanwar Uday Singh Rathore switched over to SAD.

Khanna holds road show in Dera Bassi

BJP’s Dera Bassi candidate Sanjeev Khanna held a road show at Ghazipur Road, Old Ambala Road, MRF, Panchkula Shopping Complex, Bollywood Heights, Tricity Plaza, Platinum Tower, Chinar Heights, Exotic, Prakash Tower, Nirmal Tower and nearby areas. While addressing the residents, Khanna said the BJP had prepared a roadmap to resolve their issues in its manifesto.