Daughters and wives carry family legacy in Punjab

Amitabh Shukla / Chandigarh

They are the daughters and wives of prominent and not so prominent Punjab leaders. For them keeping alive the family tradition of politics is more important than anything else in life and contesting election a mission to keep the flag of family surname flying high. They want that the surnames of their fathers, husbands and family to remain in public domain, now and forever.

Kuldeep Tohra is the adopted daughter of towering Akali Dal leader Gurcharan Singh Tohra. Her father remained the SGPC President for a record 27 terms and the party owes its base in the rural areas to him. Kuldeep followed her father’s footsteps and got elected to the SGPC. Now, she thinks being an MLA would help her carry the legacy of Tohra more effectively. Contesting from Patiala rural seat, a teary-eyed Kuldeep says, “He (Tohra) worked not only for the Sikh legacy, but also for everyone for his entire life. I will follow my father’s footsteps and do everything possible for the betterment of this constituency”.

The political profile of Karan Kaur Brar is no different. She may be the richest candidate in fray but for her the “Brar” surname of her father-in-law and former chief minister Harcharan Singh Brar is of utmost importance. She is the wife of sitting MLA Sunny Brar but as he is ailing, Karan has been given the chance to carry forward the legacy of not only her father-in-law but also her husband as a Congerss candidate from Muktsar.

Then you have Manpreet Dolly, daughter of Akali Stalwart Capt Kanwaljit Singh, who died in a road accident over two years ago. She desperately wanted to contest her father’s seat from the party which her father represented. When Akalis denied her a ticket and instead nominated a real estate developer, she decided to contest as an Independent from Dera Bassi near Chandigarh. “My father was an icon, an example of selfless service. Vote for me for the sake of my father,” she urges the voters of the constituency. Her mother accompanies her on the campaign and the portrait of Capt Kanwaljit is always there in all her publicity material. Interestingly, Dolly’s brother Jasjit Singh Bunny remains in Akali Dal even though he is keeping a low profile in the elections.

Dolly and Simerpreet Kaur Bhatia may be contesting from different constituencies but they have a lot of similarity. Bhatia’s young husband Harpal Singh Bhatia, a prominent youth Congress leader of Amritsar died while he was on his way to meet Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. To cash in on the sympathy factor, Congress first announced her candidature from Amritsar (East) but withdrew her name a few days later. An enraged Bhatia swore on her husband’s name and decided to contest as an independent despite senior Congress leaders trying to placate her. “My husband Harpal has worked really hard in the area for over four years. And I have full support of the masses here,” says Simerpreet.

Gur Iqbal Kaur, wife of former MLA Parkash Singh from Nawanshahar too is more interested in carrying forward the legacy of her husband who died recently than the world of politics.

There are at least half a dozen other women contestants in the polls from political families but they have been fielded by their husbands and fathers, all powerful and well entrenched in Punjab politics. But the reason for fielding them is different - to have a greater control on their fiefdom.

This includes Charanjit Kaur Bajwa wife of MP Partap Singh Bajwa from Qadian, Suman Kay Pee wife of former PPCC President Mohinder Singh Kay Pee and Harbans Kaur Dullo wife of former PPCC president Shamsher Singh Dullo from Bassi Pathana.

From Akali Dal Harpreet Kaur Mukhmailpur is wife of a former minister and Varinder Kaur Loomba is daughter of former MLA. BJP has given ticket to Navjot Kaur Sidhu from Amritsar East, the wife of sitting MP Navjot Singh Sidhu. (26.1.2012)

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