New. This word clearly defines Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, which will go to polls on May 13. The constituency is new and candidates of both the main political parties fielded from here are also first-timers, but the stakes are high.

The prestige of big B’s is at stake in what appears to be a direct contest between the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), although the Bahujan Samaj Party and some other outfits are also in the fray.

While Punjab Chief Minister and SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal’s prestige is involved in the candidature of his adviser Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, who is the SAD nominee, the Congress candidate Ravneet Singh Bittu carries along the image of his grandfather, slain Punjab CM Beant Singh.

Bittu, the first elected president of Punjab Youth Congress, is believed to be the choice of All India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who accepted the recommendation of former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh. His electoral prospects will involve the prestige of Rahul and Amarinder. Another similarity between Bittu and Cheema is that they both are outsiders. While Bittu belongs to Ludhiana district, Cheema is from Gurdaspur.

Bittu is in high spirits over his recent maiden victory in Youth Congress elections, which were personally supervised by Rahul, while Cheema claims to be “more experienced” being an aide of the Badals for the past over two decades.

Enjoying the rank of Cabinet minister, Cheema is serving SAD as its secretary and spokesman, being the “most trusted” soldier of the Badals.

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