Punjab polls: Seeking change, doctor jumps into poll fray

Amandeep Kaur Dholewal, 37, feels that successive Punjab governments have failed to resolve the basic issues of the people and its time commoners like her took matters into their own hands.

So she quit her job as a medical officer at the Police Hospital in Chandigarh and entered the poll race "to bring about a change".

Dholewal, who had supported the farmers' agitation against the Centre's agri laws, is contesting the February 20 Punjab Assembly polls from Bassi Pathana seat as a candidate of the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha -- a political front of 22 farmers' unions who were part of the year-long stir.

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"I resigned in January from the police lines hospital in Chandigarh, where I was working as a medical officer," Dholewal told PTI.

"These are very big decisions. I was closely attached with the farmers' agitation and once the SSM was launched, many suggested that I should contest elections. It was only last month that I decided to enter politics and contest the polls and my family supported the decision," she said.

Dholewal claimed the issues faced by the people of Punjab have remained unresolved for long, and public health and education sectors are in a bad shape.

"Basic issues of the people have not been addressed. At the time of elections, these leaders come and seek votes from the public in the name of development, which is actually non-existent," she said.

"Successive governments have pushed the state into a debt of Rs 3 lakh crore. So, until we as common people don't come forward, these issues will continue," she said, adding that the SSM's "mission is to bring about a change."

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Listing the issues faced by the people of Bassi Pathana, Dholewal said, "Sewage water enters people's houses at many places, internal roads are in a bad shape and basic facilities are missing."

Hitting out at rival political parties, she said all of them are the same.

"Several AAP candidates were earlier either Akalis or Congress members. Now, if these people join them, how can the AAP claim to be any different and how will people benefit," she said.

Dholewal is pitted against sitting Congress legislator Gurpreet Singh GP.

Also in the fray are Manohar Singh (56), the brother of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi who is contesting as an Independent, Punjab Lok Congress' Deepak Jyoti (37) and Aam Aadmi Party's Rupinder Singh.

Interestingly, both Manohar Singh and Jyoti are also doctors.

Manohar Singh, who was posted as a senior medical officer at the Nandpur Kalour primary health centre, quit his job to contest the elections. He was hoping to get a Congress ticket, but after the party re-nominated its sitting MLA, he decided to contest as an Independent.

Recently, Manohar Singh said he had served people as a doctor during his government service and he would do that again if he wins the elections.

Jyoti said she wants to serve the people of Bassi Pathana by providing them the best medical facilities and initiating development work.

Punjab goes to the polls on February 20. The counting of votes will be taken up on March 10.

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