Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has significantly increased his political activity in Bathinda, a traditional stronghold of the Badal family, with an eye on the Assembly elections due early next year. The constituency is currently represented in the Lok Sabha by Harsimrat Kaur Badal, wife of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who has himself won the seat on four occasions.In less than two months, Mann has spent at least five nights in the city, indicating the ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) growing focus on the southwest Malwa region ahead of the elections.During his visits on May 7 and 10, April 4 and 11, and March 22, the he stayed at the VVIP Lake View Guest House located at the now-defunct Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant on the outskirts of the city. Further, his mother and wife also separately visited Bathinda during the period.While the CM already has a second official residence in Jalandhar, the Bathinda guest house is now being viewed as his unofficial “third accommodation” in the political circles.Observers say Bathinda, located over 230 km from Chandigarh, has emerged as an important regional hub over the years, making it politically significant for all major parties. They point out that the incumbent AAP government has appointed several chairpersons of state boards and corporations from the district, underlining the party’s attempt to further strengthen its political base in the belt.“The politics of southwest Malwa revolves around Bathinda. It sets the tone and tenor. The CM’s frequent visits are a clear sign that the AAP has gauged the public mood and is set to give a tough fight to the SAD, which is otherwise gaining ground in this region. Recently, the CM travelled the state in a Bathinda-registered luxury car, which also triggered a fresh political debate here,” said a former MLA, requesting anonymity.Meanwhile, AAP senior spokesperson Neel Garg said, “Bathinda is the political capital of the Malwa region. The political signals emerging from Bathinda set the trend across the state. The CM knows it, and he keeps coming here frequently. Further, he is expected to visit Bathinda for the campaign for the Municipal Corporation polls scheduled on May 26.”