By: Varun Singh Date: 2009-09-21 Place: Mumbai
Maharashtra Sikh Association to walk the extra mile to ensure at least five Sikh candidates win the forthcoming Assembly polls.
Sardar Daljeet Singh Bal, the president of the Maharashtra Sikh Association (MSA), feels that Mumbai's five lakh Sikhs are sorely underrepresented in the state's political setup.
There are just two elected representatives from the community MLA Sardar Tara Singh of the BJP from Mulund and BMC corporator Harvinder Kaur Singh Bira from GTB Nagar.
In a close-door meeting at Dadar last week, the MSA decided to support Sikh candidates in the forthcoming Assembly polls irrespective of the party that fields them.
"We want at least five MLAs from our community. We have communicated this to various political parties and asked them to field more Sardars.
We will ask political parties to not pit one Sikh candidate against another in the forthcoming polls," said Bal.
The MSA has already extended its support to Mandeep Singh Sehgal, a Samajwadi Party ticket hopeful, from the Sikh dominated Sion-Koliwada neighbourhood.
"I am certain that I will win the seat, as the Sikh community is united in its support for me.
The Congress is fielding a non-Sikh candidate from the constituency, who does not enjoy the support of the locals," said Sehgal.
Sikh MLA
Sardar Tara Singh, the lone Sikh in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, however, said political parties should consider competence of a candidate and not membership to a community as a criterion when they issue tickets.
"North Indians and Gujaratis are demanding tickets for members of their community. Tickets, I feel, should be given to deserving candidates irrespective of the religion they profess or the state they come from," he said.
Raj Shroff, the general secretary of Mumbai Congress, said, "Electing the right representative irrespective is of paramount importance.
As long as the persons chosen do their job, their religion or community should not matter." said Shroff.
with thanks : source : http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/sep/210909-Mandeep-Singh-Sion-Koliwada-area.htm
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