Akali – J.S Front fails to win majority

Chandigarh, February 11

The Akali Dal today, for the first time in its history, emerged as the single largest party in the Punjab Assembly in the mid-term election by annexing 43 seats, closely followed by the Congress with 38 seats, in a house of 103 seats.

Mr Darbara Singh, former member of the Congress Working Committee and an ex-Home Minister of Punjab, was defeated in his home constituency of Nurmahal, by a Congress defector and former United Front Excise and Taxation Minister, Mr Balwant Singh, by a margin of 2,985 votes.

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Mr Lachman Singh Gill, former Chief Minister of Punjab, retained the prestigious Dharamkot seat by a margin of 6,837 against the Akali Dal MP, Mr Sohan Singh Bassi.  Mr Gill was earlier defeated at Qila Raipur by Mr Gurnam Singh, former Chief Minister.

The Jan Sangh, which had an alliance with the Akali Dal this time, secured eight seats to emerge as the third biggest party for the state.  This is one seat less than the party’s strength after the fourth General Election.  Two years ago, the Congress was returned as the biggest party with 48 seats, while the two Akali Dals, now united into one party had then secured 26 seats – 24 by the Sant Dal and two by the master Dal.

The Akali Dal-Jan Sangh “alliance” has bagged 51 out of 103 seats.

In Addition these two parties have supported a few Independent and other non-Congress candidates.

The Communist Party of India today won only three seats, as against five in 1967.  The CPI (Marxist) is also down by one seat – from three to two.  The Republican Party of India, which is now a divided house, has failed to get a place in the new House.  The Socialist Party has, however, improved its position-it now has two seats as against only one two years ago.

There are this time four Independents.  While nine of them had made the grade two years ago, Mr Gill is the only success from the Janta Party, which had set up a minority Government only a year ago.  The PSP and the Swatantra Party, which had failed totally at the polls in 1967 will now have one representative each in the new House.

Senior Congress leaders who have been defeated at the polls include Mr Brish Bhan, former PEPSU Chief Minister, who lost in Lehra (Sangrur district) by a big margin of 8,741 votes, and Mr Prem Singh Prem, former Minister for Capital Project.

Sant Rules out Akali- Congress Coalition

The Akali Dal High Command has summoned a meeting of its Parliamentary Board for February 13 at Amritsar to review the situation in the light of election results and for forming its future line of action.

In an interview this evening with your correspondent,  Sant Fateh Singh, President of the Shiromani Akali Dal, who was lying on his cot listening to the radio news about Akali victories in the mid-term poll, said that the United Front would be retained and strengthened. The Hindu- Sikh unity forged with the Akali Dal-Jan Sangh alliance was a great positive achievement of the Front and he was proud of it.  He was unhappy at the defeat of Dr Baldev Prakash.  In politics, he said, such setbacks were not uncommon.  While he was happy at Akali Dal’s victory, he was sorry that they had lost some seats.  The Congress had obtained its seats in excess of his expectations.  He had considered the Congress a dying party.

About the inclusion of Dr Baldev Prakash, the Jan Sangh leader, in the United Front Ministry, he said he could not say anything at this stage. Nor could he say anything about the choice of the Front’s leader though he felt that Mr Gurnam Singh had done very well as Punjab’s Chief Minister and had a creditable performance in his own election and in the Akali Dal’s campaign generally.  He was sure that the leader would be elected unanimously and would not present any problem.  He ruled out the possibility of any defections from the Akali Dal.  He expected the Front Ministry to be stable and they would soon have talks with the other parties after taking a mandate from the Akali Dal’s Parliamentary Board.

New House To Have Only 30 Old Faces

CHANDIGARH, February 11 (UNI) — The New 104-member Punjab Vidhan Sabha will have an.entirely new looks compared to the dissolved House.

Only 30 old, faces of the 104-member House will be seen.  Only 77 had opted to re-contest.