Gurdaspur March 12
The announcement of former minister Sucha Singh Chottepur as the AAP candidate from Gurdaspur Parliamentary seat has put the BJP and the Congress on their toes. A former minister said Chottepur is expected to get a massive chunk of the Jat Sikh vote, besides support from voters disgruntled with both the mainline political parties. The seat comprises nine Vidhan Sabha seats, out of which six are dominated by Jat Sikh voters.
Sources said he was reaching out to AAP leaders, who did not get the party nomination. These include a prominent Rajput leader, Davinder Darshi. The Rajput community holds a considerable sway in the three seats of Bhoa, Sujanpur and Pathankot city. Chottepur today held a breakfast meeting with Darshi, where the latter assured him his “unstinted support”.
Darshi is also the president of the Punjab Rajput Mahasabha and the Rajput community, which has nearly two lakh votes in the constituency. Having remained an SGPC member for 17 successive years from 1982 to 1999, he also enjoys a clout amongst the Sikh clergy, which will boost his chances to win.
“Arvind Kejriwal has become a metaphor for change in an environment sullied by opportunism and political corruption. Thanks to popular disillusionment with modern day political parties, the AAP is gaining a strong foothold in the Gurdaspur seat,” said Chottepur.
Chottepur contested the last assembly elections from Qadian seat — the home town of PPCC chief and sitting Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa. Considered to be close to former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, he was lured into the Congress fold but at the last minute, he decided to contest as an Independent. He managed to get 16,000 votes but he could not thwart the victory of Charanjit Kaur Bajwa, wife of Partap Bajwa.
Eying Sikh Jat votes
Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com
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