Happiest birthday! Captain delivers Punjab to Congress
This birthday present beats all. Voters gift-wrapped Punjab for Capt Amarinder Singh, giving the Congress a brute majority in the border state.
Amarinder, who turned 75 on Saturday, is set to be the next chief minister of what could be his last stint in politics — he has said the 2017 assembly election will be his last.
And, he seem to have saved the best for last, with the Congress bagging 77 seats in the 117member assembly, the voting for which was held on February 4.
Amarinder won the Patiala (Urban) seat by a margin of more than 50,000 votes though he lost to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal in Lambi.
He not only dethroned the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP combine but also managed to check the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which was threatening to pull an upset win in the northern state.
He even snatched AAP’s poll plank of drug abuse and corruption, and worked it to Congress’ advantage. AAP’s decision not to name a chief ministerial candidate and the outsider tag on the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit also seems to have helped Amarinder.
The AAP, which exit polls predicted would give a stiff fight to the Congress, ended a distant second with 20.
The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP combine was reduced to 18, its worst ever tally in the state.
The erstwhile royal and a former chief minister turned out to be more credible than leaders of rival parties. Amarinder’s long innings in politics and administrative experience made him a trustworthy figure.
CONTINUED ON P 18