Congress sweeps Punjab local body poll; it’s rigged, says SAD

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 22

The Congress in Punjab swept the block samiti and zila parishad elections, counting for which began on Saturday. Barring Amritsar’s Majitha block, the stronghold of former SAD minister Bikram Singh Majithia, the SAD- BJP alliance lost control of rural bodies across the state. 

For the Congress, the win means rebuilding its cadre at the grassroots level which could prove helpful in the General Election next year. Congress leaders attributed the win to “positive development”. In fact, it was owing to astute “political strategising”. Gurdaspur went completely the Congress way with the SAD unable to open its account.

The Akalis did well in Lambi but lost in Muktsar, the home turf of the Badals. In Jaito block, which includes Bargari village, the centre of anti-SAD protests, the party failed to register a win in any panchayat samiti or zila parishad. The loss does not augur well for the Akalis that has its vote base in rural areas. Sukhbir Singh Badal, the SAD president, claimed the election process had been “manipulated”. “Our agents were not allowed inside counting centres in Kharar, Chamkaur Sahib, Budhlada, Gidderbaha and other places. In Sanuar and Ghanaur, the results were manipulated in the garb of recounting and by declaring Akali votes invalid. In Mamdot, an aide of a Cabinet Minister was declared elected after a recount," Sukhbir alleged.

The only solace for the Akalis is they  have climbed to the no. 2 spot.  The main Opposition party in the Punjab Assembly, AAP, that had fielded candidates in 30 per cent of the rural bodies, has won in 18 panchayat samiti zones.

Surprisingly, in Barnala's Mehal Kalan zone, it was Simranjit Singh Mann-led SAD (Amritsar) that was victorious. The party also won the Fatehgarh Sahib Panchayat Samiti polls.The party has small pockets of influence in  Barnala, Sangrur and Fatehgarh Sahib. It seems to have benefited immensely  from the “politics over sacrilege.” 

SAD (Amritsar) wins in Barnala, Fatehgarh Sahib

• SAD (Amritsar) won in Barnala’s Mehal Kalan zone & the Fatehgarh Sahib panchayat samiti polls
• AAP, with candidates in 30% rural bodies, won 5 seats — 3 in Mansa & one each in Barnala and Bathinda
• Housing Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa’s son Ravi Nandan Singh Bajwa won ZP poll from Wadala Granthian, Batala
• Congress MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikki’s son-in-law Maninderjit Singh won the ZP poll from Ramidi, K’thala
• Former MLA Kawaljit Singh Lally’s son Mehtab Singh won the ZP poll from Patara in Jalandhar dist
• Fomer SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur’s daughter Rajneet Kaur won from Nangal Lubana in Bholath tehsil