Seeking poll boost, Captain takes divine path

As campaigning for the Assembly polls peaked in Punjab, something unusual was happening at Patiala’s New Moti Bagh Palace, the impressive residence of Captain Amarinder Singh, on Wednesday.

Hindu priests had gathered at the home of the former chief minister to chant holy mantras. Amarinder, sporting a pink turban and a black sleeveless waistcoat, sat on a chair alongside as the ritual played out.

Next, a buffalo calf was brought in as a daan (donation) to appease Goddess Kali and to mollify Shani Dev.

This scene, which could have been more apt in the home of Navjot Sidhu, who is highly religious and superstitious, summed up the situation of the former chief minister.

Amarinder’s political stock has plummeted dramatically in the past few months. An assessment of where he stands can be gauged by the number of his supporters outside his house. His unceremonious ouster as CM changed everything.

The former CM still has an edge over his rivals in his pocket borough but can’t take anything for granted; hence the ritual to appease the gods.

Amarinder is facing a challenge from AAP’s Ajitpal Singh Kohli, a former Akali Dal mayor. Ajitpal says he joined the AAP as it was always a fixed match between Amarinder and the Badals.

The Congress has fielded another ex-mayor, Vishnu Sharma, who was the mayor when Amarinder was CM from 2002-07. The SAD candidate is Harpal Juneja, a lawyer.

Amarinder’s wife Preneet Kaur, brother Malwinder Singh, with whom he is not on good terms, son Raninder and daughter are behind him completely.

A loss from Patiala will mean Amarinder was no mass leader and thrived only with the backing of the Congress. A win will help him salvage some lost pride.

Amarinder’s fledgling Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) was struggling to find winnable candidates at one stage. But the PLC and the BJP along with rebel leader Sukhdev Dhindsa’s SAD (Sanyukt) parties have collaborated to bring in some much-needed synergy in their working.

The BJP’s political isolation, after being abandoned by its 25-year-old ally SAD, somewhat ended after the PLC joined as an ally. The PLC too found an ally to stay afloat. But the combination poses little threat to the AAP, Congress or the SAD (Badal).

Many of Amarinder loyalists are contesting on the BJP symbol, a tactical move by the alliance to garner the support of urban Hindu voters given that many of them are contesting from urban seats.

Amarinder has announced that he’s not hanging up his shoes anytime soon. “It’s a double engine government with BJP-led Centre that will usher Punjab into development,” he said, expressing his newfound solidarity with the saffron party.

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