Radical candidates, BJP cost us dear in elections: AAP feedback to CM Mann

Jupinderjit Singh

Chandigarh, June 8

The radical candidates swept away the sentiments of the voters, says the feedback of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders from Faridkot and Bathinda, who met Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday.

The leaders, including the MLAs, chairmen, party’s office-bearers and volunteers of Bathinda and Faridkot Lok Sabha constituencies, have told the CM but for the sentiments in favour of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh and late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassin son Sarbjeet Singh Khalsa, the results would have been in favour of AAP.

In Faridkot, Khalsa defeated Punjabi actor and singer Karamjit Singh Anmol, who was AAP’s candidate, by a margin of 70,000 votes. SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal defeated minister and AAP candidate Gurmeet Singh Khuddian in Bathinda. This was a revenge for the Badal family as Khuddian had defeated Akali Dal patriarch Pakrash Singh Badal in 2022 Assembly polls from Lambi.

The leaders said the polarisation of votes in favour of BJP in certain pockets also contributed to the loss.

Since the poll reversals, in which the AAP won three seats out of 13 only, Mann has been brainstorming with the leaders from different Lok Sabha constituencies for past three days.

Today, he held a meeting with candidates of AAP from Bathinda and Faridkot Lok Sabha constituencies to discuss the reasons behind the debacle of both the candidates.

Sources said that the CM was told that it was like a ‘tsunami’ of these radical candidates that affected the outcome of the elections. “We do not know whether it was about the election coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Ghallughara week, marking of 40 years of Operation Blue Star on Golden Temple, but there was a huge sentiment for these candidates. That is why Amritpal and Khalsa won with landslide margins. The AAP could not contain this wave,” a leader said.

He added the issue was discussed in the meeting that it appeared that Khalsa was not in the contest. But suddenly, during the last leg of campaign, the Faridkot constituency started talking about the sacrifice of Indira Gandhi’s assassin Beant Singh’s family.

The CM, sources said, told the candidates that they should move on and prepare for the panchayat elections, and keep working for the people.

After the meeting CM Mann wrote on his X account, “Today, a meeting was held with the MLAs, chairmen, party’s office-bearers and volunteers of Bathinda and Faridkot Lok Sabha constituencies and had a detailed discussion about the development works and the issues of both the constituencies.”

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said to the MLAs of both Lok Sabha constituencies to keep up the good work and directed them to even work harder on the ground level. He also applauded the dedication of the AAP workers during Lok Sabha elections and thanked them for their tireless efforts.