He has a hearty laugh.
His analogy with politics, though, is worth remembering.
"I can uproot this sapling because it's out of place. But what do I do about the politician I vote for? Today he might be contesting from one party and tomorrow he might shift base just like it happened here," he says, while referring to Sushil Rinku, the sitting member of Parliament (MP) from Jalandhar, who switched sides from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) just ahead of the polls.
The churn in Punjab politics has been the biggest among the states ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. For the first time in decades, all the major players - AAP, the Congress, the BJP, and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) - have decided to go solo. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is also a contender in some seats. Political analysts say the outcome at the national level will be different from what happens in Punjab. This is because Punjab does not have an exclusive votebank, nor is there a party for the Dalits only.
"Unlike the all-India trend of the stiff contest between INDIA and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, Punjab is witnessing a four-cornered contest. This may work in favour of the Congress. An absence of an alliance between the BJP and SAD may result in some saving grace for AAP," said Pramod Kumar, chairperson, Institution for Development Communication (ICD).
Denne historien er fra May 25, 2024-utgaven av Business Standard.
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Denne historien er fra May 25, 2024-utgaven av Business Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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