For Parkash Singh Badal, an Akali victory at Qila Raipur is a matter of prestige. No wonder then that Badal has been virtually camping in the constituency, which goes to polls on May 29 for the assembly by-election. A number of other Punjab ministers and MLAs belonging to the Akali-BJP ruling alliance have also been staying put at Qila Raipur for the campaign.
Jagdish Singh Garcha is the Akali candidate for the by-election, which has been vacated by Badal, who contested from two assembly seats in the February polls. The Chief Minister had won the Kila Raipur seat by a margin of over 10,000 votes over his nearest rival Tarsem Jodhan of the CPM, who had polled over 27,000 votes. The CPM has once again fielded Jodhan, who had won the seat in 1992. There are seven other candidates in the fray, including one from the Bahujan Samaj Party. But the fact remains that it is a straight contest - it is CPM versus Akali Dal. The Akali nominee is a controversial figure and does not enjoy a clean image. He is a landlord and has also been in property dealing. He has been facing some enquiries too.
Union welfare minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia has been performing the role of the campaign incharge for the Left candidate. During the past couple of years he has emerged as the man Friday of CPM General Secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet. It is believed that Ramoowalia is Surjeets nominee in the Union Cabinet. Ramoowalia is a former Akali and has been twice elected to the Lok Sabha on the Akali ticket from Punjab. But today he is a bitter critic of Badal, Tohra and company. Being a skillful and powerful orator, Ramoowalia has been attracting crowds at public meetings in the constituency. He is devastating in his attack on both Badal and Tohra and holds the two Akali leaders responsible for the Punjab tragedy from early eighties.
The CPM candidate enjoys a clean image and a good reputation. He has been always working for the people of the constituency. His only disadvantage today is that he is pitted against the might and resources of the state, led by the Chief Minister himself. Badal is worried because the outcome of the Qila Raipur by-election is going to be a reflection of his three-month rule in Punjab. Political observers predict a close finish, particularly in the light of the fact that the CPM candidate is being supported by the Congress, CPI, Janata Dal as well as the militant faction of the Akali Dal led by Simranjit Singh Mann.
