Lok Sabha elections 2014:Slighted local leaders haunt mentors and parent parties

CHANDIGARH: Hell hath no fury like a local leader scorned, especially when it comes to elections. The Akalis and the Congress in Punjab are learning it the hard way as powerful satraps refuse to endorse the official candidates – in a few cases the nominations have gone to their close relatives – of the parties they are supposed to represent.

As the “ignored” leaders choose to take ring view seats and watch the game, the candidates handpicked by the parties are grappling with the notso-familiar territories. BJP’s Navjot Singh Sidhu, Amritsar MP, has refused to provide the much needed fillip to the fledgling campaign of Arun Jaitley, the BJP’s Amritsar candidate.

Sidhu’s wife, Navjot Kaur, has made it clear that her husband will not campaign for Jaitley. The senior BJP leader is pitted against former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh. In Bhatinda, Maheshinder Singh Badal, the “estranged” uncle of Manpreet Badal, has so far maintained distance from his nephew’s campaigning.

Maheshinder is popular among the downtrodden for his charity works. When Manpreet launched his campaign from Lambi on March 27, Maheshinder skipped all the events of the day.

Congress-PPP candidate Manpreet takes on Harsimrat Kaur Badal, daughter-in-law of Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal in the Akali’s citadel. Former Youth Akali president Kiranbir Singh Kang, an aspirant for Anandpur Sahib ticket, feels “ignored” by the Akalis. “These leaders have shot at us at the behest of Congress”, said an upset Kiranbir, who is popular among the youth Akali wing.