Shooter-turned-politician Smit Mann promises more powers to local bodies
International shooter-turned-politician Smit Mann assured the voters to return power to the people by making local bodies more powerful in future
With a master’s in science from the University of Oxford, international shooting player-turned-politician Smit Singh Mann, 31, son of former Dhuri MLA Dhanwant Singh, and a close relative of state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, praised the Nehruvian model while addressing locals in the Amargarh constituency. He is Congress candidate from Amargarh.
Mann, a strong advocate of women’s rights, said they work all days a week but never get any off. He assured the voters to “return power to the people” by making local bodies more powerful in the future.
“The Congress gave MGNREGA and the MSP. The party announced a Dalit man as its CM candidate. I am proud of the party,” he said.
On being asked about the vision he will project to the people of his constituency, Mann said the Congress will provide a clean and transparent system.
Punjab party affairs in-charge Harish Chaudhary also campaigned for Mann, claiming his wisdom and background will be useful for the state. However, Mann denied that he was given a ticket because of his father being an ex-MLA and his close ties with Sidhu. “My father fought and won as an independent candidate. He had contributed so much for development that he is known as ‘Sadkanwala’ MLA,” he said.
“I participated in the Asian Games in 2007. I was a national record holder and won seven medals and represented India in the Commonwealth Games in 2018. Firstly, I served India and now I am serving Punjab. This will earn me the support of my people,” he said.
The Congress candidate, who is contesting against SAD former MLA Iqbal Singh Jhundan, two times MP Simranjit Singh Mann and Aam Aadmi Party’s Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra, said by decentralising the powers of an MLA, he will give power back to local wards and villages.
“Thus, by empowering people, I aim at developing wards and villages. This will be an all-around development in which people of all sections will participate. A state can develop only when the people of all sections collectively work for it,” he added.