Shahkot assembly bypoll: Rana his guru, Ladi not new to sandstorm of controversies

Rana considers Ladi “more than a trusted aide”; it was Rana’s push that helped Ladi get the ticket from Shahkot in last year’s assembly elections.
Chandigarh : The Congress candidate for Shahkot assembly bypoll, Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia, who was on Friday booked on charges of illegal mining, is not new to controversies, particularly related to sand mining.
Ladi, 50, is a nephew of the late Darbara Singh, who was a Congress stalwart from Doaba region of Punjab and also remained governor of Rajasthan. He claims to carry his political legacy, but his rise in the Congress can be linked with his “political guru”, Rana Gurjit Singh, Congress’ Kapurthala MLA who resigned from the state cabinet following controversies related to illegal sand mining.
Rana considers Ladi “more than a trusted aide”, said local party leaders who did not want to be named. It was Rana’s push that helped Ladi get the ticket from Shahkot in last year’s assembly elections, though he lost to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Ajit Singh Kohar, whose death has necessitated the bypoll. Such is Ladi’s affinity towards Rana that he tries to copy Rana’s “aggressive style” and has lately “copied” Rana’s upturned moustache style too, said local leaders.
Since Shahkot has a large area open for mining — it is situated along the river Sutlej — stakes are high. And Ladi’s name is being linked to the illegal business from the beginning of the Congress regime that took over last year.
As ‘halqa (constituency) in-charge and as a close associate of Rana, who before his resignation was one of the most powerful ministers in the state, Ladi influence postings of police and revenue officials too, it is alleged. His opponents from within the Congress and from the SAD have repeatedly accused him of “patronising” the trade.
Only last week, a “sting operation” on video came out in which Ladi is purportedly seen seeking “one truck of sand daily” from contractors involved in mining. Yet, he got the Congress ticket. However, Ladi has in the past “ditched” other Congress candidates from Shahkot. Former Congress leaders, including former minister Brij Bhupinder Lali, and Col CD Kambol (retd) who lost in 2002, 2007 and 2012, had accused Lali of “backstabbing” the party. Just ahead of the assembly polls last year, Ladi had created a flutter by stating that if the Congress denied him the ticket he would fight as independent.
This time, after he got the ticket for the bypoll, five Congress leaders, Brij Bhupinder Singh, Captain Harminder Singh, Rajanbir Singh, Navjot Dahiya and Puran Singh Thind, all considered contenders from the ticket, came out against Ladi and passed a “resolution” to appeal to the high command to give the ticket to a “non-controversial” person instead.