Lambi: The Lambi assembly seat in Punjab has been famous for one thing — its legislator and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. But as the state goes to the January 30 elections, all eyes will be on it for a different reason. This time the contest is between Badal, Badal and Badal.
While the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal has again fielded party patron Parkash Singh Badal for this seat, his younger brother Gurdas Badal is in the fray as the People's Party of Punjab (PPP) candidate. The third Badal is Congress candidate Maheshinder Singh Badal.
While Parkash Badal and Gurdas Badal are brothers, Maheshinder Badal is their first cousin.
Floated by former Punjab finance minister and Akali Dal leader Manpreet Singh Badal last year, the PPP decided to field his father Gurdas Badal for the seat.
"Whatever is the result of the election on the Lambi seat, a Badal will win and a Badal will lose. It may be unfortunate for the family but interesting for the voters of the area," voter Gurmeet Singh said.
When relations between the Badal brothers were good, the Lambi seat used to be nursed for Parkash Singh Badal by Gurdas Badal. The senior Badal, 84, a four-time Punjab chief minister, had nothing to worry about his seat as his younger sibling took charge of his campaign and election work.
"It could be a real messy situation this time in the election. Though Badal Sahib [Parkash Singh Badal] is the tallest among all leaders here, the election will be an interesting one," Lambi constituency resident Swaran Singh told IANS here.
In the February 2007 assembly poll, Parkash Singh Badal defeated Maheshinder Singh Badal of the Congress by 9,000 votes.
