Aparna Banerji
Jalandhar, March 27
Being released from jail with exactly 22 days to go for the 2022 Assembly election, Sukhpal Khaira sprang a surprise by winning the Bholath seat by a margin of over 9,000 votes against Panthic stalwart Bibi Jagir Kaur despite the AAP wave in the state.
It was the second time that Khaira secured his seat despite the AAP wave. In 2017 (then with AAP), Khaira won Bholath despite the Congress wave in the state and in 2022, he is among the Congress MLAs in Doaba who secured a decisive win despite the AAP tsunami which swept the state. A firebrand leader who is known never to mince his words, especially against powerful adversaries, Khaira has been able to maintain an aura of invincibility despite huge rivals like Bibi Jagir Kaur and his own party colleague Rana Gurjeet Singh.
In 2017 and 2022, his Congress (2017) and AAP (2022) rivals also lost their respective security deposits. His 2022 AAP rival (who was also 2017 Congress candidate) got only 13,612 votes this time.
Khaira said, “For the last 50 years, our family has been working at the grassroots in this constituency. My father (Akali leader Sukhjinder Singh Khaira who was the education minister of the state) fought the poll in 1972. This was my sixth election, so we have very deep roots in Bholath. People have a strong faith in me. They know that Sukhpal Khaira may be anywhere, but he will always be standing up for the issues of Punjab, besides being a reliable leader. My relations with people are not political.”
Though Khaira spent 78 days in Patiala jail, he has been vocal in his criticism against political rivals. During his road show on January 30 in his Bholath constituency after his return, he took on bete noire Rana Gurjeet Singh and ever since the AAP formed government, he has been taking on the AAP on issues ranging from hefty spending on the oath-taking ceremony to the choice of the party’s Raja Sabha nominees.
Speaking on what clicked for him in such a short time, Khaira said, “When I had joined the Congress, NRIs and supporters worldwide felt a little bad. They felt that I shouldn’t have gone to the Congress. But after my arrest, all those of them came around. I earned both the sympathy and appreciation of voters. People appreciated the way I defended myself. The situation got even better than 2017. I feel even if I had not been allowed to come out of jail, I would still have won the elections.”
He considers his joining the AAP as a blunder. It’s meant for people who are subservient. Kejriwal cannot tolerate people with independent minds. I feel the AAP won’t be able to honour and live up to promises they made for change as the decay is so much. Only freebies cannot get you popularity. You need to take bold decisions like depoliticising the police and civil administration.”
Sharing his hopes from the AAP, he says, “It remains to be seen whether AAP will ignore opposition MLAs in traditional style of governance or they will give them their due. If the government does not help me, I will look for alternative arrangements also.”
Speaking on the drug menace, Khaira says, “Drugs is a major challenge. At the Patiala jail, of the 2,100 inmates, 50 per cent of them were arrested under the NDPS Act. They were all very petty drugs peddlers, people who have now become addicts. I hope the present government can cut off drugs supply. In my constituency, use of drugs is comparatively less prevalent. My strict watch will be on two-three prime villages, the Hamira belt and Dogranwala, which are two major drug hubs.”
Sukhpal Khaira
Party: Congress
Constituency: Bholath
Votes polled: 37,254
Vote margin: 9,225
Vote percentage: 32.42
Defeated: Bibi Jagir Kaur (SAD)
Priorities
SUKHPAL KHAIRA says he is getting a 30-km-long road made on the Dhussi Bandh (from the Shri Hargobindopur bridge to the Dhilwan bridge) which is unprecedented and it connects 35 to 40 villages of my constituency. It also connects Majha and Doaba. This road has been completed 75 per cent and 55 km of new roads are also being made. Work on education, drug menace and healthcare will also be among my top priorities.
Sukhpal Khaira: Even if I hadn't been freed, I would have emerged victorious
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