Dhuri ByPoll: SAD (A) Candidate Kalabula Makes the Contest Triangular

SANGRUR, Punjab—Receiving great response in the campaign for Dhuri by-election to be held on April 11, candidate from pro-freedom Sikh political party Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) Surjit Singh Kalabula has broken two-party dominance and made the fight three-cornered. He is likely to give tough fight to SAD (Badal) candidate Gobind Singh Longowal and Congress’ Simarpartap Singh Barnala.

Various Punjab based print and electronic media predict Kalabula may show outstanding performance in the election. Apart from his campaign in villages as well as the Dhuri town over the past several days, a lot of people have come out in support of Kalabula.

Kalabula organised an impressive road show comprising hundreds of vehicles on Thursday. Led by President Simranjit Singh Mann, the road show passed through various villages of the constituency. Success of the road show caused plenty of worries for opposite candidates.

Kalabula has received good response in recent days, particularly in rural areas. He has been banking on support from rural areas as 1,12,488 of the total 1,50,888 electorate live in villages. A resident said Kalabula had, through his hard work, made his presence felt in the bypoll that earlier seemed to be a two-cornered contest between Longowal and Simar Pratap Barnala. Party president Simranjit Singh Mann and his team campaigned for Kalabula all the way since the beginning. 

The campaigning for the Dhuri Assembly byelection ended on Thursday with parties making last ditch efforts to woo voters by taking out road shows. No incident of violence has been reported from any part of the constituency so far.

Under the leadership of Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa, a road show was taken out in the city by party candidate Simar Pratap Singh Barnala. Former Dhuri MLA Gaganjeet Singh Barnala, former Sangrur MP Vijay Inder Singla, MLAs, former MLAs, and a large number of party workers took part. In another road show, taken out by SAD (B) candidate Longowal in Dhuri, a large number of women under the leadership of MLA Jagir Kaur participated.