Uncanny pattern: Pamphlets on Deep Sidhu, dera message on poll eve

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, February 21

The Malwa belt reported over 73 per cent polling, higher than Doaba and Majha. The higher turnout in Malwa, comprising 15 districts, can be attributed to two factors — the dera element and Deep Sidhu-SAD (Amritsar) effect — which may have dented the AAP’s prospects.

Also read: Congress weighs impact of Deep Sidhu in Malwa

A night before the February 20 polling, posters of actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu with emotive messages to voters came up in many areas of Barnala, Bhadaur, Amargarh and Mehal Kalan. Sources say some pamphlets were also distributed, invoking the emotions of people, saying the best tribute they could pay to Deep Sidhu, who died recently, would be to support SAD Amritsar chief Simranjit Singh Mann. The votes polled in favour of the SAD Amritsar may have cut into AAP’s vote share. This has a striking similarity to incidents on the eve of the 2017 elections, when pamphlets were distributed across Punjab questioning people if they would vote for a party that overlooked the 2015 sacrilege incidents. This had aroused sentiment and worked against the SAD-BJP combine.

May hit outcome

• On Feb 19, Deep Sidhu posters seeking vote for SAD Amritsar distributed. In 2017, similar pamphlets on sacrilege worked against SAD-BJP
• Similarly, dera voters get message to vote for SAD-BSP, BJP. In 2007, the dera factor played to the advantage of the Congress

Also, on Friday night, just after the “silence period” started, dera voters in 27 constituencies of Malwa were sent messages asking them to vote in favour of the SAD-BSP and BJP-led alliances besides one or two Congress candidates. In a multi-cornered contest, even if 60 per cent of the “Premis” in each constituency towed the dera’s line, it is likely they cut into AAP’s vote share.

In the 2007 elections, when the dera factor had played to the advantage of the Congress, they got 37 of the then 65 seats (seats increased to 69 in Malwa post delimitation).

Though the Congress had lost the election to the Akalis, its tally got a boost because of the dera support. Since then, management of dera votes is a strategy that each party has tried. Poll pundits say though in the last Assembly elections, it did not work in favour of the SAD-BJP, it did increase their vote share in a triangular fight.