Senior SAD-BJP leaders make mark in city wards

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 25

Senior Congress leaders failed to deliver for Congress candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring in their own wards during the Lok Sabha elections in the Bathinda (Urban) Assembly constituency.

On the other hand, senior SAD leaders, including Sarup Chand Singla, Mayor Balwant Rai Nath and Senior Deputy Mayor Tarsem Goyal, managed to secure a lead for the party candidate in their wards.

Of the total 214 booths in the city, the SAD got a lead in 102 booths. But, the Congress was ahead in remaining 112 booths. Despite staying ahead in more booths than the Akali Dal, the Congress trailed by 3,743 votes in the city.

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) secretary Pawan Mani failed to secure a lead from his Ward No. 20 for the party candidate. In his ward, the Congress trailed by 92 votes as the party polled 1,117 votes against 1,211 votes of the SAD.

In Ward No. 17, councillor Master Harmander Singh Sidhu, wo joined the Congress, also failed to make a mark as the party trailed by 291 votes. Even in Ward No. 30 of Congress leader Anil Bhola, the SAD got a lead of 18 votes. The Congress also failed to get a lead in Ward No. 24 of KK Aggarwal as the party trailed by 13 votes.

In Ward No. 33 of Mayor Balwant Rai Nath, the SAD got a lead of 267 votes as Harsimrat Badal bagged 4,612 votes against 4,345 votes of the Congress candidate.

In Ward No. 21 of Senior Deputy Mayor Tarsem Goyal, Harsimrat got a lead of 354 votes as the party polled 1,385 votes against 1,031 votes of the Congress. In Ward No. 15 of SAD leader and former Mayor Baljit Singh Birbehman, Harsimrat got a lead of 487 votes.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha, Harsimrat had trailed by a huge margin in wards of senior SAD-BJP leaders in the city. She had trailed by more than 29,000 votes in the Bathinda (Urban) Assembly constituency.