Spouses seek votes for candidates

Akash Ghai

Mohali, January 15

Middle-aged Daljit Kaur Sidhu’s daily routine has changed and the story is no different in case of Mandeep Kaur Sidhu. Both housewives have left their household chores and jumped into the election campaign of their husbands in Mohali.

Daljit Kaur Sidhu is the wife of Mohali sitting MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu while Mandeep Kaur Sidhu is the wife of Capt Tajinder Kaur Sidhu, Akali-BJP combine candidate from Mohali.

“This (election campaign) is not new to us (the family members) as we have already participated in such campaigns a number of times. In fact, a number of people in the area recognise me,” said Daljit Kaur while participating in a door-to-door campaign with a group of her friends at Phase VII, here today.

Women accompanying me are my friends, she said.

“We have a group of friends on a social networking site on which we share our future programmes. This way we all coordinate with each other and my friends join me in our campaign,” said Daljit Kaur Sidhu.

However, the story is bit different for Mandeep Kaur Sidhu, for whom participating in election campaign of her husband (former bureaucrat) is a new experience.

“See, politics is not new to me,” said Mandeep Kaur Sidhu, who is the daughter of Akali stalwart Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.

“But this participation in election campaigning is certainly new to me, but I am liking it most,” said Mandeep Kaur, while knocking every door of Balongi village to get favour for her husband in the upcoming elections.

“People know my husband as he remained the Deputy Commissioner of Mohali for three years and did lot of things for the public during his tenure. The encouraging part is that women, especially the rural folk, come forward and discuss things, problems, issues related to them with me,” said Mandeep Kaur.

Seeing encouraging response, Mandeep Kaur is planning to intensify her campaign in the coming days.