Even as the Assembly elections in Punjab are over six months away, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party has begun reshuffling halqa in-charges, replacing incumbents to improve prospects.
Amid reports that around 30 halqa in-charges may be changed across the state, the exercise has started with two reserved seats in the Doaba region — Phagwara and Phillaur.
From Phagwara, sitting Hoshiarpur MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal is set to contest the Assembly poll. A Ravidassia, he replaced Majhbi Sikh leader Harnoor Harji Mann about 10 days back. Dr Chabbewal has been given the charge of Phagwara well ahead of time so that he is able to work at the micro-level in the area and change the fortunes in favour of AAP. Here, Congress MLA Balwinder S Dhaliwal has been two-time MLA.
Just three days ago, AAP appointed Harjot Kaur Lohtia from Banga as halqa in-charge of Phillaur. She has replaced Principal Prem Kumar, who had unsuccessfully contested from Phillaur in 2022. Lohtia had contested from Banga in 2017. Since the party clearly intends to give ticket to Dr Sukwinder Kumar Sukhi, sitting Banga MLA, who switched from SAD to AAP, it chose to shift Lohtia to Phillaur so that she gets suitable time to shed the outsider tag.
In Phillaur, Lohtia has been daily raking up issues, including those of illegal sand mining. She has also been mobilising campaign against the rampant drug problem in the area. If made to contest, she will also be the first woman candidate to contest elections from Phillaur.
Like AAP, SAD too had for the past two months been appointing its new halqa in-charges in Doaba. It appointed Sukhdeep Singh Sukar from Nawanshahr, former Jalandhar MP Mahinder S Kaypee from Kartarpur and singer KS Makhan from Nakodar. The BSP too had recently appointed some halqa in-charges as Balwinder Kumar got the charge of Adampur.
