The Congress leadership has yet to confirm his candidature officially.
Balkaur Singh, father of slain Punjabi singer-turned-politician Sidhu Moose Wala, has expressed his intent to contest upcoming state elections from the Mansa assembly segment.
On September 28, he addressed a Congress function in Mansa, where he urged party workers to back his political debut.
He declared his determination to fulfil his son’s unrealised ambition.
Balkaur told supporters that Sidhu had always wanted to be a legislator, but his dream could not materialise.
He vowed to carry his son’s photograph into the Assembly as a symbolic victory.
The ex-serviceman has been considering politics since Sidhu’s killing in May 2022, but the Congress leadership has yet to confirm his candidature officially.
Earlier, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Balkaur and his family voiced frustration after the Congress nominated four-time MLA Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu from the Bathinda seat instead of supporting his claim.
In April 2023, Punjab Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa had to visit Musa village to pacify Balkaur following this disappointment, highlighting ongoing tensions within the party.
During the Bathinda elections, the Congress struggled in Mansa, finishing third with 23,769 votes, while the AAP candidate secured over 48,000 votes.
This underscored the area’s competitive political climate.
Since May this year, Balkaur has regularly been asserting his claim over the Mansa seat.
He has been engaging in political activities and mobilising supporters across the constituency.
Sidhu Moose Wala, born Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, was a global Punjabi music icon whose influence stretched from Punjab’s villages to diaspora hubs in the UK and Canada.
He rose to fame with songs that portrayed rural life and Punjabi identity, often addressing corruption and crime.
For many, he became a revolutionary poet of his generation.
Sidhu was also a controversial figure, frequently criticised for glamorising guns and violence.
Several police cases were filed against him for promoting gun culture in his music videos.
On May 29, 2022, he was tragically shot dead when unidentified gunmen ambushed his vehicle, firing 24 rounds.
The murder shocked fans worldwide.
Gangster Goldy Brar later claimed responsibility for the attack, linking it to gang rivalries.
Investigations revealed involvement from Lawrence Bishnoi’s network, with several individuals arrested for aiding the shooters.
Despite the controversies, Sidhu’s music deeply influenced Punjabi culture.
He inspired young Punjabis to embrace their roots and openly address rural Punjab’s realities.
His untimely death shifted paradigms in Punjab, where his notoriety was weaponised by criminal groups to fuel fear and extortion, according to regional journalists.
Balkaur Singh’s political aspirations symbolise his effort to keep his son’s legacy alive while pursuing Sidhu’s dream of serving as a legislator from Mansa.
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