Congress’ Chaudhry makes it to LS from Ambala

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Ambala/Yamunanagar, June 4

Congress candidate Varun Chaudhry won the Lok Sabha elections from the reserved Ambala seat. He defeated BJP’s Banto Kataria by a margin of 47,060 votes. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s Mirzapur Majra village in Naraingarh falls in the Ambala Lok Sabha constituency.

According to the Election Commission of India, Chaudhry bagged 6,57,745 votes (49.23 per cent), while Kataria got 6,10,685 votes (45.71 percent). Of the total voters, 13,44,503 electors exercised their right to franchise in the Ambala Lok Sabha seat.

Of the total nine Assembly segments that come under the Ambala Lok Sabha seat, the Congress won in Jagadhri, Sadhaura, Naraingarh, Ambala City and Mullana Assembly segments. The win shows that a considerable vote share has shifted from the BJP to the Congress in this Lok Sabha elections.

BJP’s Kataria took a lead in Yamunanagar, Ambala Cantonment, Kalka and Panchkula Assembly segments.

Chief Minister’s Mirzapur Majra village falls in the Naraingarh Assembly segment, where he won the Assembly elections on the BJP ticket in 2014. In the Naraingarh Assembly segment, the Congress secured 73,347 votes, while the BJP bagged 52,441 votes.

Chaudhry bagged 86,770 votes in the Mullana Assembly segment where he was elected an MLA on the Congress ticket in 2019. However, Kataria could secure 58,652 votes from Mullana.

The Ambala City Assembly segment is considered as the stronghold of Haryana Transport Minister Aseem Goel, where Chaudhry bagged 78,798 votes, while Kataria secured 73,099 votes. Kataria secured a lead in former Home Minister Anil Vij’s Ambala Cantonment Assembly segment and bagged 61,177 votes. The Congress candidate managed to get 58,200 votes.

In the Jagadhri Assembly segment of Agriculture Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar, the Congress got 90,435 votes, while the BJP secured 74,989 votes.

In BJP MLA Ghanshyam Dass Arora’s Yamunanagar Assembly segment, Kataria performed well and secured 86,523 votes, while Chaudhry managed to get 61,848 votes.

The Congress candidate did well in his party MLA Renu Bala’s Sadhaura Assembly segment where he bagged 98,531 votes, while the BJP candidate secured 58,476 votes. In the Kalka Assembly segment of Panchkula district, Kataria secured 69,257 votes. However, the Congress candidate could get 58,412 votes.

In the Panchkula Assembly segment led by BJP MLA Gian Chand Gupta, Kataria bagged 79,172 votes, while Chaudhry got 58,251 votes.

In 2019, as many as 13,16,235 electors exercised their franchise in the Ambala Lok Sabha seat. BJP leader late Rattan Lal Kataria had bagged 7,46,508 votes (56.71 per cent), while Congress candidate Kumari Selja had secured 4,04,163 votes (30.70 per cent).