Chandigarh, Feb 8 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) greenhorn candidate from Punjab's Malout Assembly reserved seat in Muktsar district, Baljit Kaur, has a vision and does not mind examining one's vision while canvassing for the February 20 elections.
Amidst the hectic poll schedule, the 46-year-old state award-winning eye surgeon examines eyes even at one's doorsteps, if requested, with a bright light of her mobile phone.
She's quite popular in the area as she had worked at the Civil Hospital in Muktsar for nearly eight years before taking premature retirement in 2021. Her husband is an executive engineer with the Punjab State Power Corp Ltd.
Kaur, who did MS (Ophthalmology) from Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, made her name for performing free surgeries while serving the Civil Hospital.
"During my stint with the government as I was performing free surgeries, a campaign was launched against me by private hospitals. But people recognised my devotion towards the profession. I hope they will repose faith in me in politics too," said Kaur.
After resigning from the government job, Kaur, daughter of former Faridkot Member of Parliament, Sadhu Singh, is currently practicing at a charitable hospital in Muktsar town.
While campaigning, she talks about empowering women, strengthening health and education infrastructure. "I am asking the electorate to vote for the betterment of their children. They are asking about job opportunities for the youth that could help reduce drug and alcohol use," a beaming Kaur told IANS.
Impressed by AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal's policies for all sections of society, especially the poor, she's seeking vote for the change. "The people of the state are tired of giving chances to the Congress and the Akali Dal and now want AAP to form the government," she added.
Kaur has been pitted against AAP turncoat Rupinder Kaur Ruby, a sitting legislator from Bathinda (Rural) who joined the Congress just ahead of the poll announcement, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) former legislator Harpreet Singh, 44.
Ruby, 33, won the last poll with a handsome margin. The first-time legislator's resignation is being seen as a setback for AAP in the Malwa region where the AAP had won 18 of the 69 seats in 2017.
Ruby, who believes in serving the people but tagged an outsider, told IANS she left AAP as the party was not doing anything for the common man and there was a difference in its ideology and style of working.
Also she is impressed with the 111-day helm of Congress leader and Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
Interestingly, both Kaur and Ruby do not belong to Malout. Both labelled as 'outsiders'.
About 2 crore voters of Punjab had voted the Congress, led by Amarinder Singh, to a landslide victory in the 2017 Assembly election giving the party 77 seats in the 117-member Vidhan Sabha.
It later won three more seats in the bypolls held in October 2019, taking its strength to 80.
Assembly elections in Punjab will be held on February 20 and the counting of ballots on March 10.
Ranjit Singh, a former follower of Ram Rahim, was shot dead by four assailants on July 10, 2002, in Kurukshetra after he allegedly "raised his voice" against the self-styled godman, who is currently lodged at the high-security Sunaria jail in Rohtak, 250 kms from state capital Chandigarh.
Bharatiya Janata Party chief J P Nadda on Tuesday asked the Congress national leadership to clarify their stand on whether they support the remarks on Kashmir and Pakistan made by party leaders in Punjab. Nadda said that the silence of the Congress leadership will be seen as being implicit to such objectionable remarks.
The farmers union leaders had earlier pointed out that Punjab had failed to hike sugarcane SAP in proportion to Haryana over this period, causing fiscal losses to them.
The Punjab Congress leaders who have distanced themselves from the so-called festering revolt in the party are: Kuldeep Vaid, Dalvir Singh Goldie, Santokh Singh, Angad Singh, Raja Warring and Gurkirat Singh Kotli, all MLAs, and Bhalaipur Ajit Singh Mofar, a former MLA.
Gurbachan Singh (55) was a relieved man after he welcomed his three sons at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here. They were among the 78 Afghan- Indians who were evacuated from Kabul to Tajikistan on Monday and to Delhi on Tuesday afternoon.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters along with former Finance Minister P. Chidamabaram, Gandhi said: "The Prime Minister and the BJP said that the Congress had done nothing in last 70 years. There is a list here of all the assets that the Congress has helped build using the public money.
