The untamed and unabated war of words between Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu and senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia is primed to develop into an even-handed battle of ballots with the two meeting each other head-on for Amritsar (East) seat during the February 20 elections.
Majithia, who has contested and won the elections thrice from his home turf Majitha, has this time decided to confront Sidhu in his citadel — making it a battle of prestige. Call it a battle between friends-turned-foes or between Lambu (as Sidhu refers to Majithia) and Thoko Taali (the way Majithia refers to Sidhu), Amritsar east has turned into a hot seat.
By challenging Sidhu on his home turf, Majithia has made an apparent attempt to send across a message that he would not be cowed down by registration of criminal cases against him, police raids at his residences, and rejection of his bail pleas.
Also, the Akali Dal, which is struggling, to some extent, to regain its traditional vote bank of farmers, and Sikh voters while still living under the shadow of sacrilege incidents, has managed to shift the entire focus of elections on just one seat.
SAD, including Majithia and party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, has all along been claiming that the case against Majithia was because of “political vendetta”. In fact, Majithia, in his bail pleas, had also cited political rivalry as a major reason behind the registration of case against him, while dubbing Sidhu his “arch rival”.
As a part of the same, Sukhbir Badal had also even declared to quit politics if Congress produced any proof of drug trafficking against Majithia.
Notably, Sidhu, since 2017-18, has been taking on his own party’s government for not registering case against Majithia by claiming that STF report has enough proof to book him. In fact, non-action against Majithia was one of the prime reasons of revolt against the former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh by his own party MLAs, which eventually led to his ouster from the Congress.
After getting Capt Amarinder removed as Chief Minister, Sidhu kept up the pressure on new Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, to implement the IGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu-headed task force report, which probed Majithia’s role in drug trafficking.
The hostility between the two was so much that both leaders were seen losing their cool many times, even during Vidhan Sabha session. They nearly came to blows during the previous assembly session two months ago in November. “Chitte da saudagar”, “Daaku” is how Sidhu addresses Majithia at many occasions.
Not leaving behind, Majithia has also nicknamed Sidhu, and always make sure not to take his name but address him as “Thoko Taali”.
Now known arch-rivals, Sidhu and Majithia were once close associates. Before joining the Congress in 2017, Sidhu was in BJP for 14 years and had been party MP from Amritsar thrice. In 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Majithia played a significant role in assuring Sidhu’s victory from the seat.
However, things started changing when Sidhu opened front against its then ally SAD, which is heading the combine government in the State, for stalling his development works, and interfering in “his” constituency. He also accused Majithia of undue interference in his constituency.
Things turned worse when Sidhu’s wife, Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, was elected the first legislator from Amritsar East when the constituency was carved out following delimitation in 2012. The Sidhu couple sharpened their attack against the Akalis. Subsequently, SAD vociferously opposed Sidhu’s candidature from Amritsar in 2014 parliamentary polls, following which the BJP fielded its stalwart Arun Jaitley — who fought his one and only elections and faced defeat against Congress’ Capt Amarinder Singh. Since then, their enmity is in public knowledge.
It was in 2014 when Jagdish Bhola, main accused in a multi-crore drug cartel in Punjab, named Majithia along with others for their alleged involvement in drug trafficking. Making drug menace its main poll issue while promising to act against the “kingpin” Majithia, Congress contested 2017 polls and the SAD Akalis faced a humiliating defeat.
In 2017, Sidhu shifted loyalties towards Congress and defeated a low-profile BJP candidate, Rakesh Kumar Honey, by over 40,000 votes.
Majithia, since long, has been fighting against not just his political rivals, but also the drug taint. Currently also, Majithia is evading arrest by securing protection from the Courts after he was booked by the Punjab police in an NDPS case.
The former Minister first entered the electoral arena in 2007. Since then, there is no looking back. After winning three consecutive polls — 2007, 2012, and 2017, Majithia, this time again, is seeking re-election from his bastion Majitha along with Amritsar east.
Brother-in-law of SAD president, Majithia’s stronghold over party, especially in Punjab’s Majha region, grew over the period, and that’s why he is commonly known as ‘Majhe Da Jarnail’. Majha region, primarily comprises Amritsar, Gurdaspur districts, elects 23 MLAs to the 117-member state assembly.
Akali Dal has raised the stakes in the Punjab elections, where all parties were primarily focussing on playing safe considering that it will be a multi-cornered contest this time, by pitting Majithia against Sidhu. Also, the decision is set to give a much-needed boost to the party’s election campaign.
Majithia’s bail plea in the drugs case is pending before the Supreme Court, which will now be heard on January 31. Till then, the Apex Court has asked the state government to not take any coercive action against Majithia.
