Mann took lead in 7 Assembly constituencies

Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, May 24

Despite worst phase in Punjab, state AAP chief Bhagwant Mann got lead in seven Assembly constituencies out of total nine.

The two rallies by CM Capt Amarinder Singh and push of former CM Parkash Singh Badal failed to fetch votes for their party candidates. Both Congress candidate Kewal Singh Dhillon and SAD-BJP candidate Parminder Singh Dhindsa got leads in one constituency each.

Sitting Sangrur MP Mann had won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections by defeating SAD-BJP candidate Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa by a margin of 2,11,721 votes . In 2019 elections, he defeated Dhillon with 1,10,211 votes. Mann has got 4,13,561 votes, Dhillon 3,03,350, while Parminder Singh Dhindsa got 2,63,498 votes.

The Sangrur parliamentary constituency has nine Assembly constituencies, out of which five - Dirba, Sunam, Mehal Kalan, Bhadaur and Barnala - are with AAP MLAs, while Sangrur, Dhuri and Malerkotla are with Congress and Lehra is with SAD.

Results show that Mann has taken more votes than other candidates in seven Assembly constituencies, including 60,089 from Dirba, where the lead is highest, Sunam 57,945, Bhadaur 40,988, despite reported opposition from local rebel MLA Pirmal Singh Dhaula, Barnala 41,732, Mehal Kalan 40,441, Dhuri 50,140 and Sangrur 52,453. Congress candidate got lead only from Malerkotla with 45,037 votes, while Dhindsa got lead from his Assembly constituency Lehra with 44,521 votes.

Though Mann capitalised on state government’s failures, political analysts say his direct reach to the youth and their elderly family members played a major role in his victory.

“The CM should resign and take the responsibility of his party’s defeat from Sangrur because his government’s failure in fulfilling poll promises has led to the defeat of his party here. Area residents protested against Congress candidates,” Mann said today after collecting his certificate of victory from the office of the Sangrur Deputy Commissioner.

Next, AAP gears up for 2022 elections

• Unfazed by defeat on 12 seats in Punjab, state AAP chief Bhagwant Mann and LoP Harpal Singh Cheema said their next target was 2022 Assembly polls.
• The exit of traitors from the party will not cause any loss. In fact their expulsion will make the party stronger as our honest volunteers have filled their space. All traitors, including Sukhpal Khaira, have lost the election, said Cheema.