Punjab polls 2012 analysis: Manpreet loses both seats, father Gurdas his deposit

SP Sharma

Tribune News Service

Badal (Muktsar), March 6

Upsetting the Congress and the People's Party of Punjab (PPP) calculations, the ruling SAD bagged 21 of the 38 assembly seats in the Malwa region. The BJP got two while the Congress won 15. SAD rebel and PPP chief Manpreet Badal and his father Gurdas Badal were the prominent losers. Manpreet lost his traditional Gidderbaha and Maur constituencies. While he ended third in both the constituencies, his father Gurdas Badal, who was pitted against his brother and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi, lost his security deposit.

Of the 1,078 candidates in the fray, Manpreet was the only one who contested from two constituencies.

Despite the hyped anti-incumbency, Parkash Singh Badal broke all his previous records in Lambi by securing a lead of 24,739 votes and defeating his nearest rival and cousin Maheshinder Singh Badal of the Congress. He had won the last election in 2007 by a margin of around 9,000 votes when Gurdass Badal was his poll manager.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal secured the state's highest winning lead of 50,316 in Jalalabad . He maintained an unassailable lead right from the beginning over his Congress rival. Sukhbir had campaigned for very little time for himself in Jalalabad and had deputed his close confidant Nirbjeet Singh Dhanoa to do the job while he toured other segments.

Another notable factor that has come to the fore is that the electorate, particularly in Bathinda district that was considered the core area of influence of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, have this time rejected his appeal for votes for his relative Harminder Singh Jassi of the Congress in Bathinda (Urban). He lost to the SAD's Sarup Singla after having thrice winning the seat. Jassi's daughter is married to the Dera chief's son. The SAD has won four of the six seats in Bathinda district where it had failed to win even one in the last elections. The Congress has managed to get only two.

It was a reversal of the electoral scenario in Malwa where the Congress had won 22 seats in the 2007 elections when the SAD had got only 10 and the BJP two. Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon also sprung a surprise by winning the newly carved out Maur seat in Bathinda. He had won from Ferozepur last time.

Surjeet Singh Barnala, who had split from the SAD, failed to show his strength in Dhuri segment of Sangrur where his son Gaganjit Singh Barnala secured third position by losing to Arvind Khanna of the Congress.

CLP leader and former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal again bagged the Lehragaga seat with a margin of 3,345 votes.

A newcomer, liquor baron Deep Malhotra of the SAD, trounced Congress heavyweight Avtar Singh Brar in Faridkot while another Congress stalwart Ripjeet Singh Brar, brother of Congress leader Jagmeet Brar, was defeated by SAD candidate Mantar Singh Brar in Kotkapura segment. Congress stalwart Sunil Jhakhar recaptured the Abohar seat by defeating a BJP rebel, Shiv Lal Doda, in Abohar. Razia Sultana, who has remained the face of the Congress in Malerkotla, lost to Farzana Alam of the SAD.

Scale Tilts Towards SAD

PPP chief Manpreet ends third in both Gidderbaha and Maur constituencies 

Of the 1,078 candidates in fray, Manpreet the only one who contested from two seats

Parkash Singh Badal breaks previous records in Lambi, defeats Congress' Maheshinder by 24,739 votes

Sukhbir Singh Badal secures the state's highest winning lead of 50,316 in Jalalabad seat

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's relative Harminder Singh Jassi (Congress) loses to SAD in Bathinda (Urban)

Prominent winners: Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Deep Malhotra (SAD); Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Arvind Khanna (Congress)

Prominent losers: Manpreet Badal, Gurdas Badal (both PPP); Maheshinder Singh Badal, Harminder Singh Jassi, Ripjeet Singh Brar, Razia Sultana (Congress); Gaganjit Singh Barnala (SAD-L)

Not disheartened: Manpreet

PPP chief Manpreet Singh Badal said, “I humbly accept the verdict of the people. Though we did not win seats, I am not disheartened. We know we have a long way to go.” The PPP did manage a vote share of 5.17 per cent, more than 4.3 per cent of the BSP. Manpreet’s aides Bhagwant Singh Mann, Gurpreet Singh Bhatti, Abhey Singh Sandhu and others all lost. The PPP had fielded candidates 91 candidates, the CPI 14 and the CPM nine. 

Seats 69 SAD 33 BJP 2 Cong 32 Ind 2