Balkaur Singh canvasing, Congress cashing in on Sidhu Moosewala’s legacy

Chandigarh: The Congress in Punjab is poised to capitalize on the legacy of the late singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu Moosewala. In recent days, Moosewala’s father, Balkaur Singh, has been seen filing papers alongside Congress candidates.

He was present with Congress candidates in Ludhiana, Anandpur Sahib, and Bathinda. The Congress appears to be leveraging the family’s sentiments against the BJP and the AAP, both of which have been criticized for inadequate action against those responsible for Moosewala’s murder.

Moosewala’s father had campaigned against the AAP during the by-election for the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency last year. Despite his efforts, the AAP candidate Sushil Kumar Rinku won the election.

Rinku has since joined the BJP and is now the party’s candidate from Jalandhar. Senior Congress leaders acknowledge that the late Punjabi singer’s popularity and the support for his father are significant factors.

The AAP has not acknowledged the family’s sentiments. The Congress party remains committed to seeking justice for the late singer. Moosewala had contested the last assembly elections from Mansa on a Congress ticket but lost to AAP’s Vijay Singla.

He was shot dead in Mansa on May 29, 2022, after losing the election. Recently, the Punjab Congress persuaded Balkaur Singh not to contest the Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate.

There were also discussions that the Congress intended to offer a ticket to Balkaur Singh from Bathinda, but he declined. In March this year, Moosewala’s mother, Charan Kaur, gave birth to a baby boy through IVF technology.

At that time, there were allegations that the AAP government was harassing the couple. The Union Health Ministry requested the Punjab government to submit a detailed report on the IVF treatment, as Charan Kaur’s age made her ineligible to give birth under the ART (Regulation) Act, 2021.