Most party-hoppers didn’t have last laugh in Punjab

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, June 4

In Punjab, party hoppers — colloquially known as ‘Fasli Bater’ or ‘Dal Badlu’ — did not have the last laugh in the parliamentary elections, the results of which were declared today.

Riding on factors such as caste dynamics, religion and region, a majority of the turncoats labelled as ‘political opportunists’ by their parent parties, have been given thumbs down by the voters. There are a few exceptions such as Dharamvira Gandhi, Congress candidate from Patiala, and AAP’s Hoshiarpur candidate Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, who managed to win owing to constituency-specific dynamics and their personal vote bank.

As many as eight politicians, including three sitting MPs, shifted their allegiance to the new parties in the past two months to ensure that they get ticket from the seat of their choice. Fighting solo after parting ways with the SAD, the BJP had fielded the highest number of eight turncoats, followed by six by the Congress, five by the AAP and two by the SAD.

Analysts say Dr Gandhi, a former MP owing to his personal rapport with the voters and no political baggage, has ridden over the party-hopper tag. Similarly, Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, a two-time MLA from Chabbewal, also rode on his personal rapport as compared to Congress candidate Yamini Gomar, who left the AAP to join the Congress in 2016.

An interesting example of turncoats being rejected include outgoing MP Sushil Rinku, who left the Congress to join the AAP and then finally shifted to the BJP to contest from Jalandhar. On similar lines, despite riding on the political legacy of her husband and two-time CM Capt Amarinder Singh, coupled with Hindu vote consolidation, four-time MP and BJP candidate from Patiala Preneet Kaur did not get through.

Other prominent turncoats who could not win include Sushil Kumar Rinku (Jalandhar), Ravneet Singh Bittu (Ludhiana), Mohinder Singh Kaypee (Jalandhar), former MLAs Pawan Kumar Tinu (Jalandhar), Gurpreet Singh GP (Fatehgarh Sahib), BJP’s Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi from Ferozepur, Congress’s Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu (Bathinda), SAD’s Anil Joshi (Amritsar), BJP’s Manjeet Singh Manna Mianwind (Khadoor Sahib), Congress’s Yamini Gomar (Hoshiarpur), Congress’s Amarjit Kaur Sahoke (Faridkot), and BJP’s Gejja Ram Valmiki (Fatehgarh Sahib).