From emerging as a prominent student leader in Punjabi University, Patiala, to being charged under the National Security Act twice post Operation Blue Star, three-time MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, 74, is once again testing his luck from the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha seat on a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ticket.

Having represented the constituency from 2014 to 2019 after defeating Congress leader Ambika Soni, the senior Akali leader had lost to Congress’ Manish Tewari in 2019, but the party has reposed faith in him again.

Coming from a farming background, he was first elected to the Parliament from the Patiala constituency in 1996 by beating Congress’ Sant Ram Singla and again overcame party candidate Capt Amarinder Singh in 1998 to retain the seat.

Interestingly, this time, Chandumajra has been pitted against Sant Ram Singla’s son Vijay Inder Singla, a former Congress cabinet minister. HT spoke to him about his campaign and its chances of success:

A four-way contest is on the cards in Anandpur Sahib. Where do you find yourself among the candidates?

In Punjab, this election has turned out to be a contest between a regional party and national parties. People know that only regional parties can work for their welfare. I will defeat Singla, who has abandoned his own district, and also sitting Congress MP Manish Tewari, who shifted to Chandigarh after betraying people of Anandpur Sahib who voted him to power. The AAP candidate is a parachute candidate and people already have a lot of anger against the state government.

You are contesting without the BJP this time. Will this affect the outcome?

The BJP can only hope to win over the Hindu vote share of the AAP and Congress by banking on the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Vote bank of all parties will be affected by the current political dynamics in Punjab.

Will the gamble of snapping ties with the BJP for farmers will help you?

The SAD stands firmly in support of farmers and thus broke the decades long alliance with the BJP, as farmers were demeaned, insulted and abandoned to die. We are the only option for the farmers, as both the AAP and the Congress only did politics over the issue, instead of lending real support to farmers.

What is your major contribution for Mohali and Kharar? Your government was accused of delaying water supply from Kajauli

The roads in Mohali were in a dilapidated state before I became the MP in 2014. During my tenure, our government gave Mohali a complete makeover with roads better than Chandigarh and Panchkula. Our government got approval for the Kajauli waterworks project, but the successive governments failed to properly distribute the water till date. If elected again, I will ensure adequate water and electricity supply for Mohali and Kharar. During my last term, I brought ₹40 crore from the central government for electricity infrastructure.

What are your future plans for Mohali and Kharar?

We will work towards making Mohali an IT hub with world-class infrastructure. Moreover, we will launch more international flights from here, and also start an independent cargo terminal at the airport for exports to give boost to trade and investment. To deal with water shortage in Mohali and Kharar, we will bring adequate supply from Kajauli water works. An efficient sewage treatment plant for Kharar will also be established.

What needs to be done to attract industry to Mohali?

Unfriendly government policies and poor law and order situation are forcing industrialists to move to neighbouring states. Besides, poor connectivity, and expensive land and electricity are also burdening the industry here. To strengthen connectivity, we had constructed four-lane roads, around 250 flyovers across the state, and started two international airports in Mohali and Amritsar. We started two international flights from Mohali, but the present government failed to take up their number. If elected, we plan to provide incentives to industry, including interest-free loans, besides improving law and order to provide a sense of security.