Punjab has line-up of ex-bureaucrats in election fray

The upcoming Assembly election in Punjab will not only witness seasoned politicians, but also the state’s retired bureaucrats — some of them left their plum posts only recently to contest the January 30 polls. There are nearly a dozen such one-time IAS, IPS and PCS officers in the fray, besides wives of top police officers. Among the prominent faces are D S Guru, former principal secretary to the chief minister, veteran Olympian Pargat Singh, who was director (sports), former director general of police P S Gill, former Ludhiana additional deputy commissioner Shiv Ram Kler and retired additional deputy commissioner Sukhwant Singh Sarao. All of them are Shiromani Akali Dal candidates.

 

The BJP, an electoral partner of the SAD, has fielded one candidate.

It was only last month that the SAD’s Guru put in his papers, though it was clear sometime ago that he was to contest the elections. His party colleague Gill, who retired as Punjab DGP on September 30 last year, is contesting against sitting MLA Joginder Pal Jain of the Congress.

Also, former IAS officer Amarjit Singh Sidhu is contesting from Talwandi Saboo.

Guru says it his desire to serve the public prompted him to contest the elections. Similar are the views expressed by other candidates. Pargat Singh, who once captained the national hockey team and has just resigned from government service, says he “thoroughly” knew the administrative system. “Now, as a politician, I can bring a change in the system for the betterment of the people,” he adds. Singh will face Jagbir Brar, the Jalandhar (Cantonment) sitting MLA, who joined the Congress sometime ago.

Guru will face Mohd Sadique, a Punjabi singer who is contesting on a Congress ticket, from Bhadaur. He also stresses his background in serving the public. “I was the panch of Khudi Khurd village before being entering the IAS in the late 1970s,” he recalls.

The retired bureaucrat in the BJP’s lineup is Som Parkash, a former IAS officer who is now the vice president of the party’s state unit. He is being fielded from Phagwara.

Among the policemen’s wive contesting elections are Farzana Nissara Khatoon (SAD), who is pitched against Razia Sultana of the Congress -- in Malerkotla. Khatoon is wife of former DGP (Prisons) Izhar Alam, and is a first-timer. Razia is wife of additional DGP (Internal Vigilance) Mohd Mustaffa, and has been MLA from the seat for the last two terms.