With the results of the civic body elections scheduled to be announced tomorrow (Friday), all eyes are on the Majitha municipal council, where the real battle is clearly not between the contesting candidates, but between senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia and AAP’s halqa in-charge Talbir Singh Gill.
A classic case of friends-turned-foes, both Majithia and Talbir have contested this election keeping in mind its impact on the future Assembly elections. As is well known in politics, perception is often larger than reality, and both leaders are trying to strengthen their positions ahead of the real political battle.
Though Talbir may appear to be an amateur in front of heavyweight Majithia, it is not uncommon for former subordinates to prove an Achilles’ heel for their former mentors in major political battles.
“Ever since Talbir parted ways with Majithia and joined AAP, the SAD leader was practically not present here as he was in jail. This is the first election he is facing in which Majithia is active in the constituency. It is a bigger test for Talbir than it is for Majithia,” said a local political observer.
The results of four civic bodies — three municipal councils of Jandiala Guru, Ramdas and Majitha, and one nagar panchayat (Rayya) — will be announced after counting of votes on Friday.
In Ramdas too, which is part of the Ajnala Assembly segment represented by AAP MLA and spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, an unfavourable result may reflect poorly. In Jandiala
AAP leader Talbir Singh Gill
Guru and Rayya, both part of the Jandiala Assembly segment, the contest is between AAP Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO and former Congress MLA Sukhwinder Singh Danny Bandala.
Officials of the district election office stated that counting of votes will begin at 8 am. The counting centre for Majitha has been set up at Mai Bhago Government Polytechnic College, Majitha Road; for Ajnala at Saroop Rani Government College; for Ramdas at Government College, Ajnala; and for Rayya at Mata Ganga Senior Secondary School, Baba Bakala.
