Congress trails in Bathinda (Urban)

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 23

The Congress suffered a major setback in the city as the SAD bagged a lead of 3,743 votes. It is the first time when Harsimrat Kaur Badal managed to get from Bathinda city. In 2014, she trailed by around 30,000 votes and 15,000 votes in 2009.

Moreover, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal represents the Bathinda (Urban) Assembly constituency in the Vidhan Sabha. Manpreet along with his family members campaigned in the city.

Besides, AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi also addressed a rally in the city in support of the Congress candidate. Moreover, Navjot Singh Sidhu also took out a roadshow on the last day of campaigning in the city.

Political analysts attributed the lead to Hindu voters who are in a majority and their votes shifted to the SAD due to Modi factor in the Bathinda (Urban) constituency. It is being said that the Congress failed in booth micro management in the city as in many areas, door-to-door campaigning was not done. Besides, workers failed to mobilise Congress’ traditional voters to the booths to cast vote.

It also seems that the Congress looked over confident of putting up a good show in the city. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had even said residents of Bathinda city had the DNA of the Congress.

Moreover, it is learnt that the move of the Congress to welcome a large number of SAD leaders into the party fold ahead of the polls this year did not work. With this, some Congress workers felt ignored and did not work properly. 

The SAD leaders who joined the Congress also failed to perform properly as they were not able to adopt the work culture of the Congress.

State government’s policies, including high power tariff and cut in government employees’ salaries, affected the Congress.

Manpreet Badal’s brother-in-law Jaijeet Singh Johal, aka Jojo, posted on Facebook “I take full responsibility for the loss in the town. I must have faltered in my working and no local leader or worker is to blame as they worked very hard”.

Apart from Bathinda (Urban), sitting Congress MLA from Bucho Pritam Kotbhai also failed to gather a lead from his Assembly segment for the Congress candidate, who trailed by around 8,000 votes.

Similarly, Aam Aadmi Party candidate Baljinder Kaur, who is MLA from Talwandi Sabo, failed to get a lead from her own Assembly constituency. She finished third in the Talwandi Sabo Assembly constituency. 

Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Bathinda (Rural) Rupinder Kaur Ruby and party MLA from Budhlada Budh Ram also failed to secure a lead from their Assembly segments for the party candidate.

Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Maur Jagdev Singh Kamalu, who was supporting Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) candidate and Punjab Ekta Party (PEP) chief Sukhpal Singh Khaira, also failed to give a lead from his Assembly segment. He stood stood fourth in the elections.