Ludhiana Lok Sabha Constituency: Ground report as Ravneet Singh Bittu joins BJP

Three-time Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, who represented the Ludhiana Lok Sabha segment twice, has left the Congress in a deep shock by joining the BJP.

Not just the Congress leaders and Ravneet Singh’s close friends, but Bittu’s family, including the former MLA and brother Gurkirat Singh Kotli, were also unaware of Singh’s decision to join the BJP.

“He did not even inform his family. He informed his brother Gurkirat Kotli half an hour before he joined the BJP”, Bittu’s close friend and senior Congress leader, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, told India Today TV.

“Bittu’s exit has left the party high and dry,” he said.Â

“He left Congress as he had struggles being a party nominee and considered convenience with the BJP, which has the name of Lord Rama and power. Should one merely chase power?,” Ashu asked as he slammed Bittu for having forgotten the sacrifice of his grandfather, Late Beant Singh, who was assassinated by Khalistani terrorists.

Punjab Congress Chief, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, clarified there were no plans of denying a ticket to Bittu.Â

“You just tell me the reasons. You spoke to me last night. You neither expressed any feelings nor hinted that you were quitting. He was connected with the leadership,” Warring said, referring to Bittu.

While some Congress leaders said Bittu’s absence from the Ludhiana constituency was the reason, others suggested he might contest from Anandpur Sahib, from where he won his first Lok Sabha Election in 2009.

Another reason could be the challenges being posed by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, which won eight segments of the Ludhiana Lok Sabha constituency in the 2022 assembly elections.

HIGH HINDU VOTE CONCENTRATION IN LUDHIANA MAY BENEFIT BJP

An industrial hub, Ludhiana, is the most populous and largest city in Punjab. There are over 10,47,025 voters in this constituency, including 65.96 Hindus, 28.75 Sikhs, and 2.81 percent Muslims.

Ludhiana Lok Sabha constituency comprises nine legislative assembly segments, including Ludhiana East, Ludhiana South, Attam Nagar, Ludhiana Central, Ludhiana West, Ludhiana North, Gill, Dakha, and Jagraon.

Eight segments, except Dakha, are represented by the AAP, which makes the ruling party a strong player.

This will be the first time the BJP will go solo in Punjab Lok Sabha elections. The party contested the 2019 assembly elections with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the alliance bagged 28.6 percent.

Ludhiana has been a Congress stronghold which won 10 Lok Sabha elections from this seat. Congress was a top performer in 2019 and bagged 36.66 percent vote share.

The Lok Insaf Party, with a 29.36 percent vote share, was at number two, followed by the then BJP-SAD alliance which had stood at number four. Interestingly, AAP’s vote share was just 1.52 percent which, however, spiralled in the 2022 assembly elections.

While the BJP’s overall vote share in 2019 was less than 10 percent, the party leaders claim it has gone up.

Graphic shows Lok Sabha election years and winning parties (India Today)

India Today’s Mood of the Nation survey has pegged the BJP vote share at 18 percent and had predicted two seats for the BJP. With the sitting Congress and AAP MPs, including Ravneet Singh Bittu, Preneet Kaur, and AAP’s Sushil Rinku joining the BJP, the vote share was likely to climb up further.

Psepholitists say that issues like the construction of Lord Rama temple, the Modi factor, and sacrilege are likely to influence the Ludhiana voters. The ruling AAP leaders, however, say that the poll scene will largely be influenced by local issues like pollution and haphazard development.

“Both BJP and SAD are creating fear in the name of religion and would try to divide the voters. Punjab’s voters do not vote for religion. Bittu should come forward and tell the people what he did for Ludhiana during his 10-year stint as Congress MP,” Ahbaab Singh Grewal, AAP spokesperson who is likely to be fielded from Ludhiana said.

The BJP leaders, including the State president Sunil Jakhar and Ravneet Singh Bittu, however, say that the people will vote for the development achieved during the NDA regime. Be it the opening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, laying the expressways, or purchasing each grain of food grains on MSP will benefit the BJP.

LUDHIANA’s BUDDHA NULLAH

A study done by the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) has revealed that Ludhiana industrial city has another dubious distinction of being Punjab’s most polluted district. It figures amongst India’s 20 most polluted cities. It has a pollution level of PM10.

The 14 km long polluted rivulet and a tributary of the mighty Sutlej River is one of the biggest issues besides air pollution and haphazard and unplanned development that will dominate the poll scene in Ludhiana. The low-lying areas of the population living on the banks of this Nullah rue that, despite spending nearly Rs 840 crore, the polluted rivulet continues to add to their miseries.

“Besides breeding various skin and lung diseases, the flooded Buddha Nullah water enters our homes during the rainy season. The leaders come and make tall promises but nothing has been done. Some affluent treatment plants and pumping stations have been set up but the rivulet has not been cleaned,” Jatinder Singh, a resident of the Haibowal area told India Today TV.Â

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