Punjab elections, Majithia brothers are battling it out

Sukhjinder Raj Singh, also known as Lalli Majithia, is running for the AAP, while his younger brother Jagwinderpal Singh, also known as Jagga Majithia, is running for the Congress. In Punjab's Majitha assembly constituency, two brothers are battling it out, each radiating confidence in their triumph.

The Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) bastion in Amritsar district is the Majitha assembly constituency, which has been represented by current MLA Bikram Singh Majithia since 2007.

Mr. Majithia, however, has opted not to run for re-election in his home district and will instead run in the Amritsar East constituency, where he will face Punjab Congress head Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Mr. Majithia's wife, Ganieve Kaur, is running for the Majitha seat for the SAD.

Majitha has long been a high-profile constituency in Punjab's Majha area. In the past, it was mostly a battle between Congress and the SAD, but this time, the AAP is offering a threat to both conventional parties' candidates.

Last month, Sukhjinder Raj Singh, 65, left the Congress for the AAP. Following that, his younger brother Jagwinderpal was elected to the Majitha assembly segment by Congress.

When his elder brother was running for the Majitha seat, Jagwinderpal Singh, 59, said it was he who always worked on the ground.

“He (Lalli) did not come out of his home in the last four-and-a-half years and people told me to contest from here. Voters earlier also wanted me to contest from here because I work at the ground level,” says Jagwinderpal. 

He said that their differences arose over the appointment of a market committee chairman last year.

Jagwinderpal stated that he and his elder brother were not on speaking terms.

He projected confidence in his ability to defeat his brother in the voting box.

He claimed to have the support of around 100 village sarpanches, saying, "We will win 100 percent."

Sukhjinder Raj Singh, on the other hand, does not envision his brother participating in the election, claiming that the Majitha assembly seat will be contested solely by the AAP and the SAD.

He further said, “Relationship is a social aspect but politically there can be different thinking and in one family, a father and a son also fight separately. If we are against each other (in the poll battle) it does not matter.”

"The fight here will mostly be between the AAP and the SAD," Sukhjinder remarked when asked if he sees his brother and the Congress as political opponents. On the topic of the constituency's lack of growth, however, both brothers are on the same page.

According to Jagwinderpal, there has been no progress in the Majitha assembly constituency throughout the tenure of Bikram Majithia.

"There isn't a single college, ITI, or industry here," he asserted as he went after Bikram Majithia.

Sukhjinder Raj Singh was defeated by Bikram Majithia in the Majitha seat elections in 2007, 2012, and 2017.

Mr. Majithia defeated Sukhjinder by more than 22,000 votes in 2017.

Ms. Kaur, who is running for the Majitha assembly seat, is a political novice.

Ms. Kaur, who is competing from this seat, said she will look after the Majitha constituency in the same way she looks after her children.

Punjab will vote on February 20.

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