AMRITSAR: At 64, Gurdaspur MP Sunil Jakhar has reached a stage where taking his father’s legacy forward seems quite viable for him. Sunil’s father Balram Jakhar was leader of opposition (LoP) in Punjab, speaker of Lok Sabha twice and Union agriculture minister. He has already held the post of LoP and after winning Gurdaspur byelection in 2017, he formally entered the central politics. Even as president of Punjab Congress, he has been able to present a united front of the party to rival organizations, all of which seem divided today be it Shiromani Akali Dal, AAP or BJP.On the other hand, the 2017 assembly election defeat from Abohar still rankles his supporters, as he was probably the only party bigwig not elected despite a Congress wave in the state, which got the [arty a record 77 MLAs out of total 117 seats.As an MP, Jakhar claims to have got Rs 172 crore approved for the construction of railway overbridges at Dinanagar, Gurdaspur, Nalunga, Pathankot and Sujanpur. He has also got Rs 70 crore work allotted for the construction of bridges at Dinanagar-Mirthal road, Dinanagar-Taragarh road, Farida Nagar, Masatpur and Talwara Jattan.An MBA from Kurukshetra , who had got an opportunity of being Lok Sabha MP for less than one-and-a-half years, Jakhar also have the credit of getting a medical college to Gurdaspur. Fifty sports parks coming up in Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency has helped Jakhar win confidence of youth and elderly alike, claim his supporters.During his tenure as Lok Sabha MP which began on December 15, 2017, Jakhar has participated only in three debates, including discussion on Union budget. However, during the corresponding time, he asked 24 questions relating to stubble burning, demonetisation, terror threats, farmers suicides, pesticide hazard, farmers income, and quality of education.As a leader of opposition he had headed a legislative committee into alleged bungling in the funds meant for providing subsidized wheat seed under Rashtriay Krishi Vikas Yojna and National Food Security Mission, to the farmers.His detractors claim that Jakhar doesn’t spend enough time in the constituency, beside there is clash of interest between him and local Congress politician and Rajya Sabha member Partap Singh Bajwa, who had defeated Vinod Khanna once in Gurdaspur.Party sources said that Jakhar had already expressed his willingness to once again contest from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency to the Congress high command.

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