Jhadu has brought him name and fame, says AAP MLA Labh Singh Ugoke's mother

Ugoke’s wife Veerpal Kaur (centre) and his mother Baldev (right), say their phones haven’t stopped ringing ever since Ugoke won, and they are happy that the whole constituency rallied around him. Pic/Diwakar Sharma

A narrow lane in Ugoke village, Barnala district of Punjab, leads to the two-room house of 35-year-old Labh Singh Ugoke, where celebrations are in full swing. After all, the tenderfoot from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has defeated the sitting Chief Minister of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi from Bhadaur constituency by a huge margin of over 37,000 votes.

Ugoke joined AAP in 2013 as a volunteer. Before this, he ran a mobile repair shop in his village. "He wanted to join the Indian Army or Punjab Police, but he could not get through. In 2010, he got married and two years later, he opened a mobile repair shop. But a year later, he shut it and joined AAP as a volunteer," said his father Darshan Singh, 66, a farmer who also drives a tractor to earn his livelihood.

When this writer reached Ugoke village to meet the family of the newly-elected MLA, the whole neighbourhood had gathered at the patio of his modest home where the walls stand unplastered. Everyone was offered tea, which was being prepared on the chulha placed in one corner. "Sat Sri Akaal ji…" people greeted us. Ugoke's mother Baldev Kaur, 60, couldn't contain her happiness. "We are thankful to everyone who has helped my son make Channi face an embarrassing defeat," Kaur told mid-day in Punjabi.

Labh Singh Ugoke's wife Veerpal Kaur with their children, Abhijyot Singh (L) and Armaan Jyot Singh. Pic/Diwakar Sharma

Baldev is a private sweeper in a government-run school in the village. "I have been working here for decades. All the children, including Labh, have studied in the same school where I am still a sweeper, but I take pride in saying that my son has chosen to join a party whose symbol is ‘jhaadu', which I have used throughout my life to earn a livelihood. Now the same jhaadu has helped my son make a name for himself," said the proud mother.

When asked how the school's staff and neighbours are reacting to her son's thumping victory, Baldev said that they have been asking her to tell her son to improve the infrastructure of government schools and make them equivalent to those in Delhi, where party founder Arvind Kejriwal has made them a role model. "The demands have started pouring in from the neighbours. There is no hospital in our village, people have to travel about 15 to 20 km to reach the nearby government hospital, which is also in a dilapidated state. Everything needs to be changed… my son will have to work a lot," added Baldev.

Ugoke's father is equally proud to see his son's posters plastered everywhere in the village. "We knew that he would win, the whole village had vowed to help him register the victory," said Darshan, adding that his son has never lost a battle. "My son never failed in school. This was the first time that he contested elections and he won it too. The whole constituency is celebrating."

Ugoke's wife Veerpal Kaur, who works as a tailor, is busy in the kitchen tending to guests,. Her phone hasn't stopped ringing since the day of Ugoke's victory. "My relatives are calling to congratulate me," said Veerpal, who has sons Armaan Jyot Singh, 7, and Abhijyot Singh, 10. "After he filed the nomination, we were not sure if he would win or not. But as the polling date neared, we started feeling positive - the whole constituency stood up to support my husband," said Veerpal, who belongs to Himmatpur village in Moga district, which is hardly 25 km from Ugoke village.

Humble beginnings

Ugoke comes from a family, where everyone works to make ends meet. After sweeping the entire premises of the school, his mother Baldev joins her husband in the fields to bring home fodder for their two buffaloes. Before contesting elections, it was Ugoke who would do this job and carry it home on his bicycle.

In the evening, this reporter met Darshan and his wife Baldev in the fields. "We have a very small piece of land," said Singh. When asked if they would continue to work in the fields, Singh said he is not going to give up on his work. "My annual income is R44,000 and my wife makes R24,000. We both will continue to work the way we have so far." His wife said that the victory would not change her status at school. "They will still call me ‘jhaaduwali' and this is my identity, which I am going to retain. Besides, this jhaadu has earned my son name and fame."

Long road ahead

Back at home, Ugoke's cousin Gurusevak Singh tells us how the whole village had gone to the Gurudwara to thank the almighty and pray for his continued success. "He is a very ambitious but humble person and helps people in need," said Gurusevak, adding, "After he won the election, the villagers started calling him ‘MLA sahib' but he said that he is still their ‘bachcha'."

Commenting on his cousin's competitor, Gurusevak said, "In a bid to woo voters, Channi played cards with the villagers and played cricket with the youth but none worked out for him. Although he is a rich man and against him, my cousin had no resources to campaign in the 74 villages that make up his constituency, he won because people wanted a change."

"A lot of work needs to be done to develop Punjab, which is in a bad shape. The previous governments have done nothing. But, now, under the leadership of our leader Bhagwant Mann, the crimes and corruption will come to an end," Ugoke told mid-day, adding that he has a lot of work to do in his constituency as well. "The villagers need a better education system. We will also work towards providing better health facilities at the village level."