4 ex-officers win

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 11

Just four out of 12 former officers, both military and civil, won the Assembly elections here today.

Of four, the Congress, led by Capt Amarinder Singh, won three seats and the left one seat was bagged by BJP candidate from Phagwara and former IAS officer Som Parkash.

Former Moga DC Kuldeep Singh Vaid (Bulara) from Gill and former PCS officer Ajaib Singh Bhatti from the reserved constituency of Malout were the other two winners. State Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh defeated Gen JJ Singh of the SAD. He could manage only 11,677 votes and even lost his security deposit.

Vaid (56) defeated Jiwan Singh Sangowal of the AAP by a margin of 8,641 votes. Bhatti won from Malout defeating the nearest rival Darshan Singh of the SAD by a margin of 4,989 votes.

The AAP, despite an envious list comprising two players of international fame, both of whom were recruited DSPs in the Punjab Police, including Olympian Kartar Singh from Tarn Taran and ace basketball player Sajjan Singh Cheema from Sultanpur Lodhi, could not win even a single seat.

Fielded by SAD, former Mohali DC Tejinder Pal Singh Sidhu polled 30,031 votes against 66,844 by the Congress’s winning candidate Balbir Singh Sidhu.

Son-in-law of senior Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Sidhu was a former Army officer and was selected to Punjab Civil Services in 1989.

Army officers picked by the AAP included Shaurya Chakra awardee Capt Bikramjit Singh Pahuwind (47) for Khemkaran and Brig Raj Kumar (retd) for Balachaur seats. Both of them lost. Former IAS officer DS Guru, a close confidant of CM Parkash Singh Badal, lost from Bassi Pathana on the SAD ticket.

Former Excise and Taxation Officer Harbhajan Singh (PCS officer) stood third in Jandiala by bagging 33,912 votes on the AAP ticket. Former IAS officer SR Kaler from Nihalsinghwala from SAD came third in the constituency, won by Manjit Singh of AAP.