Arch-rivals of Punjab politics come face to face in Amritsar

Sidhu, Majithia ran a bitter campaign against each other

Two arch-rivals in Punjab — the Congress’s Navjot Singh Sidhu and the Shiromani Akali Dal’s Bikram Singh Majithia, who are contesting from the Amritsar (East) constituency — on Sunday ran into each other at a polling booth.

The leaders, who have been relentlessly exchanging sharp words against each other on public platforms, especially on the drug menace, were spotted outside a polling booth in the Verka area of the city.

Donning a pink turban, Mr. Sidhu was moving towards the building while Mr. Majithia, in a blue turban, was on his way out. As they came face to face, the two leaders exchanged brief pleasantries, before moving ahead. The supporters were heard shouting slogans for their leaders as both of them expressed a calm gesture.

The constituency’s electoral battle came to the limelight after Bikram Majithia announced that he would take on Congress heavyweight Mr. Sidhu and decided not to contest from his home constituency, Majitha.

Mr. Majithia, the brother-in-law of Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal, won the Majitha seat in 2007, 2012 and 2017.

Mr. Sidhu is the incumbent from Amritsar East, which he won in 2017 by a margin of more than 40,000 votes.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s Jeevanjot Kaur and the BJP’s Jagmohan Singh Raju, a former IAS officer, are also in the fray.