Assembly polls: Mood of people in Punjab's only Muslim-dominated constituency

Malerkotla (Punjab) [India], January 24 : With less than a month to go for Punjab Assembly polls and political battles intensifying as the polling date of February 20 is inching closer, most of the people of Malerkotla, the only Muslim-dominated constituency in the state, said that they are satisfied with the work of the sitting Congress MLA Razia Sultana.
While a section of them also said that they are willing to give Aam Aadmi Party a chance and want a change.
There are many constituencies where the political equation is very different from the rest of the state. Malerkotla is the only constituency with the Muslim majority. About 70 per cent of the population here is Muslim and its impact is also visible in the electoral equation here.
Razia Sultana is MLA from Malerkotla for the third time in a row. She is the minister in the Charanjit Singh Channi government in Punjab. This time too, the Congress party has made her a candidate from the same assembly constituency.
Earlier in 2002 and 2007, Razia Sultana has won the elections from Malerkotla. However, in 2012, she had to face defeat against Nesara Khatoon of Shiromani Akali Dal.

Speaking to ANI, Zahuruddin, who runs a utensil shop in Malerkotla market said that he is willing to give chance to the Aam Aadmi Party adding that the people in the district want change this time.
"We will give chance to Aam Aadmi Party this time. People here want a change and we have high hopes from Aam Aadmi Party," he said.
Showing the flyover under construction in front, Zahuruddin said, "This is a flyover that is being built for years. Razia Sultana did not do any work being a minister."
However, the other people around did not agree with the shopkeeper and said that they support the MLA.
A 70-year-old Mohammad Salim said, "Can't say about the political atmosphere so soon, there is still some time for the elections. However, Congress has done work here. Bhagwant Mann won here two times in Lok Sabha, he did not do anything here."
Another resident, Mohammad Saoor said that the MLA has worked for the constituency.
"Congress will win here. Razia Sultana has worked a lot. Whatever we ask for our constituency, we get all of them," he said.
Another man said that they have witnessed changes in the constituency since Sultana won the seat and added that AAP will dance to the tunes of the BJP if it comes to power.
"Whosoever works here, will win the seat. We have seen so many MLAs here, but after she became an MLA here, there have been changes. If Aam Aadmi Party wins, it will dance to BJP's tunes," he said.
Showing the degree college under construction in Malerkotla, local voter Salim said, "All of us will vote for her. She has worked a lot. There was a long-pending demand for Malerkotla to be made a district, she made it happen.
Speaking to ANI, MLA Razia Sultana said that she has worked for all the people in the district and did not differentiate between people in the delivery of the developmental work.

"The campaign has just begun. This constituency has always been good for us. It is the only Muslim dominated district in Punjab but we never differentiated between Hindu and Muslim while working. I have done developmental work in the Hindu localities as well. We have fought to make Malerkotla a district, now the developmental work will be done at faster pace," she said.
Punjab will go to the polls on February 20. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.