Congress ex-MLA on poll trail gets unusual 'MSG'

BATHINDA: There's no escaping the dera factor in Punjab pollscape. In the middle of electioneering for civic polls, as the SUV ferrying Congress ex-MLA Harminder Jassi halts at Bathinda's municipal wards, he is flooded with an unusual request: arranging passes for the controversial Sirsa dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's movie "MSG - The Messenger of God".
This is not so strange as Jassi's daughter Husanpreet Kaur is married to the dera head's son Jasmeet Singh.
After the Punjab government ban on the movie, the godman's followers in rural areas of Punjab are heading for six multiplexes in Chandigarh and Panchkula every day to see the film.
"It is difficult to explain to these voters that there are no passes. They even ring up my personal assistants. I tell them that I can only arrange tickets. I can ensure a visit to the Dabwali theatre and get tickets for them only when polls are over," says Jassi as people pound on the SUV windows.
Even though he had lost the Talwandi Sabo bypoll in 2014 by 46,642 votes despite the popular notion that the godman has a significant following in this region.
He insists that the government should have allowed the movie to be screened in Punjab.
Though he has not still seen the film yet, he is ecstatic at the Rs 100-crore record claimed by the film in the first week.
"If the Centre cleared the movie, then Punjab government too should have. The first thing I will do after the polls are over is watch the movie with my family," he says.
The two-time MLA from Bathinda Urban, however maintains that he has never approached his daughter's father-in-law for any political assistance.
Despite this claim, his poll promises made on behalf of candidates, bear an uncanny similarity to godman's sermons on cleaning campaigns, afforestation and "ruhani water".
"I want to pledge that the Congress party will move the Supreme Court against the waste from 18 municipal councils impacting the drinking water. We will ensure that the dumping ground is shifted out of the residential area. Bathinda is seeing frequent cases of Hepatitis C, swine flu and water-borne diseases of jaundice and diarrhoea," he added.
Bathinda district, home to the ruling Badal clan bahu and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur, is going civic polls along with five other corporations on February 22.