Bathinda: The Congress celebrated Baishaki with Rahul Gandhi's first visit to Punjab this election season. A charged up Congress symbolically chose the religious town of Talwandi Sabu in Bhatinda, once at the heart of the Sikh insurgency, to be Rahul's first stop.
And for a party that has been on the receiving end of Sikh anger lately nothing works more than showcasing their poster boy Manmohan Singh.
Said Rahul Gandhi: "Manmohan Singhji is the pride of Punjab, the pride of the Sikhs, the pride of India. In the last five years he has shown how India can progress."
Politically too, Bhatinda is a hot potato. The Congress candidate from here is Raninder Singh, son of captain Amarinder Singh. And he is fighting Harsimarat Kaur Badal, the daughter-in-law of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
The last time Akalis won 11 seats. The Congress was reduced to just two. This time around, they are hoping that anti-incumbency and some last minute decisions will help change their fortunes.