Caste factor worked for Cong in SAD bastion

Rajmeet Singh

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 25

The consolidation of Hindu and Khatri votes in favour of the Congress led to the party snatching the Jalalabad Assembly seat, which is considered an SAD bastion.

Congress candidate Raminder Awla, considered a money bag, defeated Raj Singh Dibbipura of the SAD by 16,633 votes, a highest margin ever achieved by any of the party candidates.

In fact, the party’s decision to field fresh faces from Phagwara, Jalalabad and Mukerian, coupled with local factors and caste combinations, worked in favour of the party that has been able to register win on the three seats. The Congress is likely to experiment with the “new-face” factor in the 2022 elections.

As SAD leader Sukhbir Badal made inroads into Jalalabad in 2009, and won two subsequent elections in 2012 and 2017, the Congress kept on losing due to the wrong choice of candidates. The last time the Congress won from the seat was 17 years ago, when Hans Raj Joshan won from the constituency. Even in the 2017 Assembly elections, Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu lost to Sukhbir Badal, leaving Congress jittery.

Political analysts point out that over the years, the Congress has continued to grossly miscalculate the caste combinations, revolving only around the Rai Sikhs, thereby giving advantage to the SAD to ride on the factors against the Congress. Sources say money power added to the power of the Congress candidate.

Explaining the complete reversal of trends, the analysts say this time it was the SAD that made the mistake of fielding a Rai Sikh candidate against the Hindu Khatri face fielded by the Congress. While the Rai Sikh votes got divided among the Akalis, Congress and AAP candidates, a major chunk of the Hindu and Khatri Arora vote bank that otherwise went to the SAD, consolidated in favour of the Congress candidate.

Anish Sidana, a senior Congress leader, said the decision to field a Hindi Khatri face worked wonders, upsetting SAD’s calculation of easily winning the seat. “If this was done earlier, winning from the seat would have been difficult for SAD,” he said.

On the other hand, SAD leaders deny that the party didn’t work hard in the constituency. Sukhbir Badal, Harsimrat Badal and Bikarm Majithia campaigned in the constituency, said a senior leader.

Cong MLA booked for code violation

Phagwara: The police today registered an FIR against Congress MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal for violating the model code of conduct. The matter was brought to the notice of the Phagwara SP and returning officer on October 21, who disposed of the matter on October 22. The complaint lodged by defeated BJP candidate Rajesh Bagha against winning Congress candidate Dhaliwal for violating the model code of conduct was then brought to the notice of the Punjab Chief Electoral Officer and the district election officer-cum-Kapurthala DC. They directed Latif Ahmed, returning officer-cum-Phagwara SDM, to inquire the matter again.Dhaliwal won the Phagwara Assembly seat with a margin of 26,116 votes. Bagha got 23,099 votes. oc

What went against Cong earlier

As SAD leader Sukhbir Badal made inroads into Jalalabad in 2009 and won two subsequent elections in 2012 and 2017, the Congress kept on losing due to the wrong choice of candidates. The last time the Congress won from the seat was 17 years ago, when Hans Raj Joshan won from the constituency. Even in 2017, Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu lost to Sukhbir.

Pollsters say...

Analysts say this time, the SAD that made the mistake of fielding a Rai Sikh candidate against the Hindu Khatri face fielded by the Congress. While the Rai Sikh votes got divided among the Akalis, Congress and AAP candidates, a major chunk of the Hindu and Khatri Arora vote bank, which otherwise went to the SAD, consolidated in favour of the Congress candidate.