Fresh revolt in Sukhbir’s den, MP Ghubaya’s son to join Cong today
Cong leaders in flux over induction of Akalis, fearing it may send signal that party is short of winners
FEROZEPUR: As it reels under string of resignations of sitting MLAs who were denied tickets for the upcoming assembly polls, the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is in for more trouble as son of its Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya is joining the Congress on Tuesday in New Delhi.
Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh has called a press conference in the national capital to announce the induction of Davinder Singh Ghubaya, the 25-year-old younger son of the MP.
“Ghubaya would like to go down a martyr by awaiting suspension by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal instead of facing disqualification under the anti-defection law by joining the Congress himself,” sources close to the MP revealed.
Ghubaya had defeated Congress heavyweight Sunil Jakhar from the Ferozepur seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and hails from the politically powerful Rai Sikh community that holds a sway over not just the assembly segments of Ferozepur parliamentary seat of Fazilka, Jalalabad and Guru Har Sahai but also Jagraon, Ajnala and a few others seats.
Ghubaya decided to strike back after “feeling sidelined” by Sukhbir, for whom he had vacated the Jalalabad seat in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Sukhbir’s seat Jalalabad is now being looked after by his officer on special duty Satinderjit Singh Manta and Ghubaya has been conspicuous with his absence from “sangat darshans” as well as other visits of Sukhbir since the past many months. On Ghubaya’s absence, the deputy CM’s common refrain was, “only he can reply to it”.
Though Ghubaya did not comment on his son’s induction into the Congress, party ticket contenders are infuriated over reports that he may be fielded from Fazilka. Party’s former candidate Mohinder Rinwa has asked Ghubaya to first pass the litmus test by contesting against Sukhbir and AAP’s Bhagwant Mann from Jalalabad saying the assembly seat has the largest number of Rai Sikh voters. “We will fight till last to prevent him from getting a ticket from Fazilka,” Rinwa said.
It is for a reason that the Congress was the last to declare its candidates. Those denied tickets cannot jump ship when other parties have already set the sail. But this time round, the party seems to be eyeing an altogether different goal — to rock the boats of other parties by courting their rebels.
The prophecy of Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh that the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will see an exodus to his party is coming true even before the poll code of conduct has kicked in.
The inspiration for Amarinder seems to have come from none other than SAD president Sukhbir Badal who was able to turn the tide in the 2012 elections in his favour by propping up as many as 22 Congress rebels who handed their party a second defeat at the hustings. To woo turncoats, the Congress chief has been throwing the bait of “no candidates in 55 seats” when he inducted the first few turncoats into the Congress fold earlier this year.
Even as the dust has to settle on the induction of former Akali minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Amarinder is trying to breach the enemy camp through rebellion by one of Akali Dal’s four Lok Sabha MPs, Sher Singh Ghubaya, whose son is likely to be not just inducted but also fielded from the Fazilka seat.
There is no denying the fact that Congress did not have a formidable candidate in Fazilka. Ghubaya is a grassroot politician from Rai Sikh community, whose votes matter in assembly segments such as Fazilka, Guruharsahai and Jalalabad, the seat of Sukhbir.
Any shift in the vote of this community should alarm Sukhbir, who is locked in a prestige battle against AAP candidate Bhagwant Mann. It will also help MLA Rana Gurmit Sodhi, Amarinder loyalist and the man behind the move to woo Ghubaya, against a strong AAP candidate, Malkeet Singh Thind of the Kamboj community in Guruharsahai as the Kamboj and the Rai Sikh communities are pitted against each other in the seat and share a mutual dislike.
There are speculations of Ghubaya having been assured a few other Rai Sikh dominated assembly seats in the state, including Balluana and Ajnala. But there are rumblings within the Congress on whether gains from one seat justify a larger “self-goal” in the perception game. “Elections are a game of perception and what signals is the Congress trying to send by bringing in rejected and dejected Akali Dal leaders? That we have 600-odd applicants but we are short of winning candidates? With so many Akali MLAs roped in, the party is becoming a mini or diluted Akali Dal. The perception about the party as a whole and not prospect of winning individual seats through turncoats will decide the fate of the Congress in the polls,” a senior Congress MLA said, requesting anonymity.
Many party leaders are miffed over not just entry of turncoats but the “power politics” that is delaying announcement of candidates once again.
“We are again inflicting the same injuries. The message going down to people is that the party did multiple surveys, launched expensive poll campaigns but has no candidates in its kitty. Can we afford to show such desperation when marathon meetings are on to decide the candidates? Amarinder seems to have learnt from Sukhbir Badal on engineering defections but has not learnt a lesson from his own mistakes,” another MLA added.