In 2013, Congress drew a blank in 10 zila parishads, it’s Akali Dal now

CHANDIGARH:Local body elections are every ruling party’s prestige battle. And a game of power. But the results of 22 zila parishads and 150 panchayat samitis five years ago in 2013 and September 2018 have a uncanny similarity.

Under the Akali Dal-BJP regime, it was the Congress that drew a blank in as many as 10 zila parishads. Five years on, with the Congress in power, it is the Akalis who have gone for a duck in 10 zila parishads.

In Malwa, the Congress could not win a single seat of zila parishad in Bathinda and Muktsar, the stronghold of the Badals, last

time. This time, it has taken all 16 zila parishad seats of Bathinda. The party had drawn a blank in the zila parishad of Faridkot in 2013. This time, it is the Akalis who have failed to bag even a single seat at the ground zero of anti-sacrilege and police firing

protests, helping the Congress walk away with 10 of 10.

In the last polls, the Congress had failed to open its account in Ferozepur, Fazilka and Moga zila parishads. Now, it has dealt a similar blow to the Akalis with a clean sweep in Mansa, Barnala and Fatehgarh Sahib of Malwa. In Majha, the Congress in 2013 had no winner in three of four districts — Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Pathankot. This time, it has won 21 of 25 seats in Amritsar, 19 of 20 in Tarn Taran and nine of 10 in Pathankot. It has taken all seats of Gurdaspur.

In Doaba, Kapurthala had no Congress member in 2013, but this time, nine of 10 seats have gone to the ruling party. In Patiala, the home turf of chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, the Congress had won just two zila parishad seats in the last polls, even as the parliamentary seat was represented by his wife and then Union minister Preneet Kaur. It has all 25 now.