On 18 January 2009 by-elections were held to elect one panch (representative) for the 7 member panchayat samiti of Khokra Village in Manasa district of Punjab. Comrade Jagsir Singh alias Jagga, who was put up as a consensus candidate by the villages was elected with a huge majority. He defeated the candidate put up by the Akali by 566 votes against 500 votes.

Panchayat elections in Punjab were held on 28 May 2008, but due to various reasons the elections to one of the seats in the village could not be held earlier. The village with a population of about 4500 persons has 1300 voters. The ruling party and various bourgeois opposition parties conspired to co-opt each other’s candidates for the seat so that elections become unnecessary. But stiff opposition and strong unity of the people of the village defeated their tactics and a straight contest had to be organised.

People of the village decided to field their own candidate. Member of Lok Raj Sangathan (Punjab) and a communist activist, Comrade Modan Singh, led the initiative.

On 3 January 2009 a public meeting was organised in the village. This meeting was addressed by Comrade Modan Singh, Convener of Lok Raj Sangathan (Punjab) Comrade Gulab Singh, and many other progressive individuals and communists, including comrades from Communist Ghadar Party of India. All the speakers stressed the need for people not to fall for various conspiracies of the groups and parties of the bourgeois. Fed up with the constant treachery by these parties and groups people also desired change. Following a long and serious discussion all those present agreed with the candidature of comrade Jagsir Singh.

Comrade Jagsir Singh who has studied till matriculation, is a farmer and known for his progressive thought, was initially a bit reluctant to stand in the elections. His family members were also totally unaware of this development. Next day a huge contingent of villagers went to his house to meet his family members and was successful in convincing them.

The election was held peacefully on 18 January 2009 in a healthy and impartial atmosphere. This was not due to deployment of police or presence of government officials, but because of the unity of the people who ensured that the bourgeois parties were not able to corrupt people through liquor and money or manipulation of votes.

The victory of the people’s candidate was celebrated late into the night by firing of crackers. Everybody in the village except the leaders of the bourgeois parties participated in the celebration, which was joined by thousands of villagers and progressive people from nearby villages.

People’s Voice congratulates people of the village and the entire region on this resounding victory.