Majha gives bleeding blow to SAD-BJP alliance
: The ‘Majhails’ — people belonging to the Majha region — true to their ready-tofight persona, gave a bleeding blow to the ruling SAD-BJP combine by giving 22 seats to the Congress.
The region comprising four districts — Pathankot, Tarn Taran Gurdaspur and Amritsar — has 25 assembly seats.
The only solace for the SAD in Majha came from its big- gun Bikram Singh Majithia, who won by over 22,000 votes. But SAD bounced a surprise with Lakhbir Lodhinangal winning Batala seat, reducing Gurpreet Singn Waraich to the third spot.
The BJP, which had won five seats from the Majha region in 2012 polls, could just win one only this time with deputy speaker Dinesh Babbu from Sujanpur retaining his pocketborough by 18,701 votes.
Majha was significant for the SAD due to 10 years of anti-in- cumbency, coupled with an uprising of sorts in its citadel of Malwa due to the emotive issue of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib. This ‘panthic’ anger was at the core of pro- Aam Aadmi Party sentiment in Malwa. But the electorate rejected the AAP in Majha and solidly backed the resurgent Congress.
The glimmer of hope for the SAD was from its alliance partner BJP, which too was humbled. The wipeout is significant as the region was being represented by four ministers in the Parkash Singh Badal government.
In the Panthic belt of Tarn Taran district all the SAD candidates were defeated. In the 2012 polls, the BJP had won five seats in Majha, SAD 11 and Congress 9.