India General Elections 2024: Bhatinda’s giant-killer seeks second Badal scalp

In Bhatinda Punjab a threeway battle is underway for the upcoming elections Incumbent MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal seeks her fourth term Gurmeet Singh Khuddian representing AAP faces the challenge of competing against Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Lakha Sidhana a former gangster turned activist and politician campaigns for Punjabrsquos rights challenging the established political orderBadal emphasises ldquoWe must save the Badal family and our party as others aim to end us in Punjabrdquo Sidhana echoes ldquoMy past is past We fight for Punjabrsquos rights About five to six cases against me are from farmer protestsrdquoAAPrsquos Gurmeet Singh Khuddian at a rally PicFacebookDuring her campaign Badal expressed concerns about drug issues and appealed for support to tackle them emphasising the need to save Punjabrsquos futureCampaigning with BadalDuring her campaign Harsimrat Kaur Badal expressed the personal and political stakes involved ldquoCampaigning in this area is a loss for the SAD party and a personal loss to me after the death of my fatherinlaw Prakash Singh Badalrdquo she said Addressing concerns about drugs she urged citizens to support her bid to tackle the issueWho is BadalBadal began her political career in 2009 as a Lok Sabha MP from Bhatinda In her first speech she addressed the 1984 antiSikh riots Reelected in 2014 and 2019 she is now contesting for the fourth time She served as the cabinet minister of food processing industries 20142019 20192020 and resigned on September 17 2020 to protest the new farm billHarsimrat Kaur Badal during her campaignYou are contesting for the fourth time from Bathinda What do you thinkI am happy to contest for the fourth time and work for the people of Bhatinda Punjab and India We see politicians changing parties and constituencies just to contest in the election But I am contesting for the fourth time from the same party and the same placeWhat about the farmersThe present government claims they will double farmersrsquo income but itrsquos all talk Neither the BJP nor the AAP did anything for farmers The farmers have been protesting for more than 100 days and no one is listening to themLakha Sidhana during his campaign PicsFaisal TandelWhat is the present government doing wrong according to youThey are trying to steal water from Punjab and give it to other states They are not thinking about the farmers Our party is fighting for the farmers and will continue to do soAs a woman in Parliament what issues will you raise and what will you do for womenrsquos empowermentI will do everything possible to empower women and improve their educationCampaigning with SidhanaProminent in the 2020 farmersrsquo agitation Lakha Sidhana spoke at a roadshow in Aklia Mansa stating ldquoWhile other parties arrange fuel and drinks we donrsquot You came for us because we fight for Punjabrsquos rightsrdquo Known for his activism Sidhana championed Punjabi signboards and helped those cheated by agents He also promised to address harassment complaints from a woman and her mother offering them hopeGurmeet Singh Khuddian meeting people in his constituencyWhat did you think after getting a Lok Sabha ticketItrsquos my first time contesting an MP election After getting elected I will talk about Punjab and fight for its citizensrsquo rights Since 1947 our rights have been eroded I am contesting for the rights of Punjabrsquos citizens and will take up their issuesYou are said to be a gangsterturnedpolitician with more than two dozen cases What do you have to say about thatThat was my past during my young age when crimes happened But I have grown and understood life Now I am devoting my life to Punjab and its citizensYou are fighting against threetime MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal who is contesting for the fourth timeThe Badal government has ended and will end from Punjab now They have betrayed Punjab Badal has sold out Punjabrsquos rights to the Central government so her return is impossibleThousands of farmers are protesting at the PunjabHaryana borderAbout five to six cases against me are due to my involvement in the farmer protests I have always supported the farmers and will continue to do soYou fought for Punjabi language signboards in PunjabMany have tried to end Punjabis and Punjab but those who wanted to kill us have themselves perished Punjab will always riseWhat about Punjabi language in schools You said the mother tongue should be given first preferenceI am not against any language everyone has the right to speak their language But the mother tongue should not be forgotten I am fighting to save the Punjabi languageGurmeet Singh KhuddianWe attempted to meet Khudian but he was busy campaigning Gurmeet Singh Khuddian a Punjab Legislative Assembly member from Lambi achieved a significant victory in 2022 by defeating Parkash Singh Badal of the Shiromani Akali Dal SAD His win marked a shift in Punjab politics away from SADrsquos dominanceOriginally from Congress Khuddian switched to AAP before the elections highlighting his clean image and agricultural background His victory reflected the electoratersquos fatigue with alleged corruption and dynastic politics in the Badal family Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann appointed Khudian as the Agriculture Minister recognizing his success Khuddian is now positioned by AAP to challenge the Badal dynastyrsquos influenceJune 4Day of result