'Early starter' Jagir Kaur sees no contest from political opponents

The declaration of her candidature by the Shiromani Akali Dal from this rural parliamentary seat of Punjab may have come as a surprise for Jagir Kaur, but she sees no contest from her political rivals and exudes confidence of a major victory.

Interestingly, her candidature was announced by the SAD much before the Lok Sabha poll schedule was out.

"I had not broached the subject (of my candidature) with any senior leader. It was as much a surprise to me as to anyone else," Kaur (64) told PTI.

It is her maiden Lok Sabha election.

The SAD nominee is also the first woman to be elected for the second time as the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC).

Kaur, however, has been labelled a "parachute candidate" by her political competitors as she had contested the state assembly polls from Bholath segment in Kapurthala in the past.

She said an early decision on her candidature from Khadoor Sahib has worked in her favour.

"My name was announced more than a month ago while Congress nominee Jasbir Singh Dimpa's name was announced recently," Kaur said.

"I toured the entire constituency, established and renewed my contacts. While I was rigorously working in the constituency, Dimpa was learning to tie turbans and trying to show his 'panthic' side to the electorate," she alleged.

The SAD candidate said she was not worried about her other rival, Jaswant Kaur Khalra of Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA), for slogging it out in the constituency before her arrival on the scene.

"That is true. But I do not consider PDA in the race. Khalra contested 20 years ago and lost miserably. She had been in inertia since then. What has been her contribution?" she said.

Hitting out at SAD (Taksali), a breakaway party from SAD, Kaur said its mentor Ranjit Singh Brahmpura shifted his loyalties to Akali Dal (Maan) in late 1980s and returned to SAD only when SAD (Maan) was already doomed.

"The sitting Brahmpura MP remained in the SAD and having enjoyed the fruits of various posts, he deserted the party and floated another outfit," she said.

SAD (Taksali) is supporting the PDA candidate from this seat.

Ironically, the SAD (Taksali) had first offered ticket to Bir Devinder Singh, who was later shifted to Anandpur Sahib seat. Later, SAD (Taksali) withdrew its nominee Gen J J Singh (retd) in favour of Khalra, widow of a human rights activist.

Kaur refused to compare her stint as SGPC president twice with fighting the general elections.

"I won't compare the two as both slots are important yet different.I sincerely dedicated myself to SGPC and would work with equal zeal as a Member of Parliament (MP) without thinking of reward," she said.

"As an MP, I would be one among 543 and would have to compete with them and excel. I would be provided a much bigger national forum to articulate the aspirations of Punjabis," she said.

The SAD nominee from Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat entered politics in early 1990s. She contested the state assembly elections in 1997, defeating present mentor of Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

Consequently, she was rewarded with a ministerial berth by then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Kaur stunned everybody when in 1999 following a rift between Badal and Akali stalwart Gurcharn Singh Tohra, she emerged as the first choice of Badal and succeeded Tohra without any resistance for the post of SGPC president.

She lost her elder daughter and was accused of conspiring to kill her. It led to a protracted legal battle and finally, she was acquitted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court last year.

Punjab will vote in a single phase on May 19.