Manpreet Badal and Bhagwant Mann Foresee Election Day Trouble

A file photo of Bhagwant Mann and Manpreet Badal
A file photo of Bhagwant Mann and Manpreet Badal

CHANDIGARH, Punjab—The election scene of Punjab is becoming very interesting these days, as all major parties are playing various tricks in order to ensure their victory. Manpreet Badal who is contesting from the alliance of Congress and People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) for Bathinda constituency, and Comedian turned politician Bhagwant Mann, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Sangrur, have gotten themselves into a new kind of trouble which has some interesting twists.

Manpreet Badal is currently sitting as president of PPP, while Bhagwant Mann is its former senior leader. In the last assembly general election of 2012, both the leaders contested on the symbol “Kite” as it was allotted to PPP. In the 2014 elections, Manpreet Badal is contesting on the symbol of Congress i.e. “Hand”, while Bhagwant Mann (after quitting PPP), is the candidate from AAP, so his election symbol is “Jharoo.”  Manpreet Singh who is a namesake of Manpreet Badal is also contesting the poll independently from same constituency, and the election commission has allotted him “Kite” as election symbol.  His namesake also had the recognition of putting his surname as “Badal”.

On the other hand, AAP candidate Bhagwant (Singh) Mann’s namesake, Bhagwant Singh, is contesting as an Independent candidate from the Sangrur constituency and he too has has “Kite” as his election symbol.

People in the both the constituencies feel that the namesake presences of Manpreet Badal and Bhagwant Singh in the fray as running as an Independent on “Kite” symbol,  may affect prospects of both the leaders. Some voters intending to vote for Manpreet (S) Badal, or Bhagwant Mann may end up mistakenly voting for their namesakes due to confusion with the former “Kite” election symbol of the 2012 Assembly elections.

Manpreet Badal has alleged that it was a deep conspiracy of his cousin Sukhbir Badal, whose wife Harsimrat Badal was contesting as his main opponent. Whereas Sukhbir Badal says that it has happened coincidentally. But Manpreet’s allegations leveled against Sukhbir seems to be nearer to reality with the knowledge that when the former’s namesake was filing his nomination, Babbi Badal who also belongs to Badal Family, and senior leader of SAD (B), was present.

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