Congress making inroads into Akali bastion

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">JALANDHAR: As the harvesting operations draw to a close the subterannean mood of the rural folk is beginning to surface, noticeable through the fluttering of flags on rooftops, the movement of Sumo, Qualis rubbing shoulders with ''<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">gharukas</span>'', a unique unregistered country-made vehicle peculiar to these backward areas of Doaba, small village gatherings can be seen with local leaders campaigning for this or that candidate.<br /><br />The anti-incumbency factor is visible in Kartarpur, Lohian and Sultanpur assembly segments. In Kartarpur people are disappointed with Ch Jagjit Singh, Congress minister. The absence of a strong Akali or BSP leaders is felt. <br /><br />Charanjit Singh Atwal, who contested from this seat for the Akalis in the last Assembly elections, has now shifted to Phillaur. Earlier, Atwal had been brought to Kartarpur from Ludhiana. Even BSP had fielded an outsider, Avinash Chander, last time. In Lohian Brij Bhupinder Singh, C D Kamboj and Harbans Singh Chandi are this time putting up a united fight for the Congress. Last time Kamboj became a rebel as he was denied the party ticket after having been promised it. Chandi had joined the Akalis but is back with the Congress now.<br /><br />Then a favourite theme among speakers is the corruption case against Ajit Singh Kohar, the sitting Akali MLA. Three factors appear to be swaying the mood in Sultanpur segment where Akali Dal''s Dr Upinderjit Kaur is a sitting MLA: anti-incumbency, opening up of an office in Kapurthala by Rana Gurjit Singh where farmers'' problems were sorted out from time to time and the last June 2003 panchayat polls were swept by the Congress. <br /><br />Rajanbir Singh, who had contested against Dr Upinderjit Kaur on a Congress ticket, has gone back to the Akali Dal.<br /><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><br />The outsider factor has worked against him and till now he has not struck roots in this segment. Another factor that is propping up the Congress in Lohian and Sultanpur areas, considered an Akali Dal bastion, is the cadre base of CPI and CPM which are Congress allies. <br /><br />Another segment where Akali Dal and BSP are both missing from the fight is Jalandhar South.<br /><br />This segment constitutes mainly Ad Dharmis, Bhagat community and Christians. While the Christians with the minority syndrome are already leaning towards Congress the dalit vote bank is moving back to Congress as Pawan Kumar Teenu, after nursing this segment for the last 10 years has moved to Phillaur to contest that seat. <br /><br />Even votes from his own village Khurla Kingra may drift away from BSP. In Jalandhar Cantonment there is an anti-incumbency mood against sitting Congress MLA Gurkanwal Kaur. The popular resentment is that she has never visited the constituency after getting elected.<br /><br /><formid=367815></formid=367815></div> </div>