Firing, clashes mar polling in Malwa
PATIALA/BATHINDA : A couple of incidents of firing and some group clashes were reported in Malwa belt on Sunday as 67 percent (approx) electors exercised their right to franchise in the region. The polling by and large ended peacefully in five segments — Patiala, Sangrur, Anandpur Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib and Ludhiana — and incidents of violence were reported from western parts of the belt comprising Bathinda, Ferozepur and Faridkot segments.
Malwa has eight of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Overall, the trend shows that the Aam Aadmi Party was a nonplayer in the belt this time except in Sangrur, where sitting MP Bhagwant Mann is a force to reckon with. Last time, AAP had won Patiala, Sangrur and Fatehgarh Sahib seats, and was a close second in Ludhiana.
Two of the party’s sitting MPs — Dr Dharmvira Gandhi from Patiala and Harinder Singh Khalsa from Fatehgarh Sahib — are no more in the party. Dr Gandhi has floated his own outfit and Khalsa has joined the BJP fold. HS Phoolka, who contested from Ludhiana in 2014, too, has quit the party and has even resigned as an MLA. AAP’s only hope from Malwa is Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann, who is in a close contest with Kewal Dhillon (Congress) and Parminder Singh Dhindsa (SAD).
In Patiala, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s wife Preneet Kaur is caught in a triangular contest with Nawan Punjab Party candidate Dr Gandhi and Surjit Singh Rakhra of SAD. Preneet has an edge over her rivals in Patiala city, and rural surroundings, Sanaur, Ghanaur and Rajpura; while response to Dr Gandhi was good in Nabha and Shutrana. AAP’s Neena Mittal was never in the race.
In Fatehgarh Sahib, the contest is between Congress’s Dr Amar Singh and Darbara Singh Guru of the SAD. Here also, Baldeep Singh Dullo, son of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Shamsher Singh Dullo, failed to make a mark. He even failed to set up his booths and deploy election agents in many areas.
In Anandpur Sahib, the contest is between sitting MP Prem Singh Chandumajra (SAD) and Manish Tewari of the Congress. Here, Bahujan Samaj Party is eating into the Congress votes, while Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) candidate Bir Devinder Singh will harm the Akali prospects. Congress, observers say, still has an edge in segment.
From Ludhiana segment, Congress’s sitting MP Ravneet Bittu is facing Akali Dal’s Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Lok Insaaf Party’s Simarjeet Singh Bains. AAP candidate Tejpal Singh Gill failed to make a mark.
Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Harsimrat Kaur Badal is facing a stiff challenge in Bathinda from Amrinder Singh Raja Warring of the Congress. In Ferozepur, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal is locked in a straight contest with former Akali Sher Singh Ghubaya of the Congress.
AAP sitting Faridkot MP Sadhu Singh is pitted against Mohammad Sadique of the Congress and Gulzar Singh Ranike of the Akali Dal. Here, too, observers say, the response to AAP candidate was not as good this time as it was in 2014.