It is an unlikely place to wash a car, but two young men are spotted busy washing their four-wheeler at a deserted railway platform of Dera Baba Nanak station.
The almost defunct railway station, which is the last one before the Pakistan border, is being put to good use by the two youth who come from families with different political ideologies but are now united in professing their support for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Karanbir Singh and Prince Kumar belong to families that have been traditional supporters of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Congress, respectively.
“But we are going to vote for the AAP this time and we are going to make our families vote for the party too,” the duo says.
Both youngsters are well educated. Prince Kumar (27) is pursuing an MA in English from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, while Karanbir (24) holds a Diploma as well as Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Punjabi University, Patiala.
Support for the AAP is a common thread which runs through the constituencies of Raja Sansi, Ajnala, Fatehgarh Churian, Dera Baba Nanak and Gurdaspur.
Many people that The Indian Express met during its visit have been voting for the traditional parties of Punjab till now. Most of them said that though they have been avid supporters of these parties, they are now going to vote for AAP.
Whether these votes will translate into a win for the AAP candidates in the constituencies is yet not certain, but the sentiment of giving change a chance definitely was palpable among the masses in these areas.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the 2022 Punjab assembly polls is the traction that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is getting in the Majha region of the state.
In previous interactions, the state co-incharge of AAP, Raghav Chadha, has categorically stated that the party was going to perform exceptionally well in Majha region.
And true to Chadha’s belief, the support on the ground for his party was starting to show.
For Congress supporters, the situation is a bit perplexing.
Many claim that a lot of development work has been done in villages of many constituencies and that there is no reason for not voting for the ruling party.
“In at least three nearby villages, there has been tremendous development work. All these villages are committed to the Congress.
The same has been done in other villages too. But for some reason they are rooting for the AAP this time,” says Ashok Kumar in Ajnala.
A small trader, Ashok says the town saw great response for the roadshow held there recently by Bhagwant Mann, the AAP state president and the party’s CM candidate.
Exactly the same is being said about villages and towns falling under Dera Baba Nanak constituency, which is represented by Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who also holds the Home ministry portfolio for the state.
Randhawa is credited with having ensured all round development in civic affairs in his constituency.
Yet he has a fight on his hands this time, with not only the SAD candidate but also the AAP candidate.
The two youths, Prince and Karanbir, blame Randhawa’s predicament to the unfettered sale of illicit liquor in the area which they allege is actively patronised by local Congress leaders.
“Here there is no ‘chitta’ (white powdered narcotics), but there is alcohol. Youth are dependent on it.
There is a village nearby which is known for its families selling liquor. A poly packet is available for Rs 30-40.
It is of poor quality and often people fall ill with swellings in their legs,” says Prince.
Both the young men claim that their sentiments are shared by a large cross-section in the constituency.
Unemployment is another major factor which is key to their making a decision of who to vote for in the upcoming Assembly polls.
“Kee laggange? (What job can we get) Security guard?
We will have to work in factories in Jalandhar.
Our friends work in shops for Rs5000-6,000.
The AAP has done well in Delhi, they will do something here too, we hope.
There is a secret section ready to vote for them,” says Karanbir, highlighting the unemployment among the border area youths.
