Congress trying to rope in Gurdas Mann for polls

Patiala, Dec 24: The Congress in Punjab is making all-out efforts to woo film stars and Punjabi pop and folk singers and if the party succeeds in its mission, then the next assembly elections in the state could see quite a few of them in the poll arena.

One such star that the Congress is eyeing is immensely popular Punjabi folk singer Gurdas Mann, who has also acted in a couple of Punjabi films. The party would like him to contest from the Gidderbaha assembly seat which is represented by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Manpreet Singh Badal, nephew of SAD chief Prakash Singh Badal.

The Congress interest in Gurdas Mann also stems from the fact that he belongs of Gidderbaha. Another seat for which his name is under consideration is Dhariwal as the Congress has no candidate for that seat.

When asked to comment on this move of the Congress, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, while denying that the party had approached Mann, said, ''But if Mann himself wants to join the Congress, we will leave the Gidderbaha seat for him''.

''Since Mann belongs to Gidderbaha, it will be appropriate for him to contest from there'', Capt Singh said in an iformal chat with mediapersons here today. He however admitted that the Congress was in touch with certain Bollywood personalities to persuade them to cmpaign for the party in the elections.

According to sources, Capt Singh has been concentrating on those assembly segments of Malwa which are represented by Mr Badal or his family members in order to make a dent in the Akali strongholds.

Sukhdarshan Singh Marar, an independent MLA from Mukatsar who had joined the Congress a couple of months back, has been trying to woo Gurdas Mann for the Gidderbaha seat.

The Sources said if Gurdas Mann agrees to join the Congress, then he may opt for the Dhariwal or any other seat which is safe. He may not like to contest from Gidderbaha as it was Mr Badal who had appointed Mann as the head of the cultural wing of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) during his earlier tenure in 1978.

UNI