Cong sweeps Punjab rural polls; Akalis down, AAP out
The ruling Congress continued its winning spree in Punjab by sweeping elections to 22 zila parishads and 150 panchayat samitis, results of which were declared on Saturday.
The opposition parties drew a blank in some zila parishads, including chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s home turf Patiala, state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar’s parliamentary seat Gurdaspur and stronghold of former ruling family of the Badals Bathinda and Mansa. In others too, the Congress got a clear lead.
The party got an overwhelming mandate in all panchayat samitis polls too.
Though the Congress has been able to hammer the Akalis and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a row after coming to power in March last year starting from the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll, municipal body elections and Shahkot assembly bypoll, it had armoured itself for the rural elections by releasing the Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commission report on sacrilege and police firing incidents of 2015 and debating it in the Punjab assembly, a day before the polls were announced.
The report set the tone and tenor for the elections by pushing Akalis on the back foot in their own “Panthic” constituency following indictment of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal for police firing at Kotkapura and both Badal and son, Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, for Akal Takht pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a blasphemy case.
The Akalis lagged behind even in Muktsar district, Badal’s home turf, barring Malout where SAD won more block samiti seats than Congress’ tally.
The Akalis also trumped the Congress in Majitha, Bikram Singh Majithia’s bastion, where 28 of 32 panchayat samiti zones and all four zones of zila parishad went to the Akalis.
The Akalis can take consolation in the fact that the slide of the principal opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) continued with this election. Contesting each election with diminishing returns, the AAP could muster just a handful of panchayat samiti seats in its kitty.
AAP’s crisis has only deepened with a vertical split in its ranks after the rebellion of Sukhpal Khaira, who had opposed the move to contest these polls.
The elections were marred by allegations of rigging and clashes between the Akalis and Congress workers as Sukhbir brazened it out by throwing open challenges through his “Pol Khol” rallies at Abohar, home turf state Congress chief Jakhar, and Faridkot, where he alleged that Sikh radicals “propped by the Congress were staging a sham protest”.
The hardliners too clashed with the Akalis.
The results will also set the pitch for gram panchayat elections likely to be held later this year and 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
IN AMRITSAR DISTRICT, CONGRESS WON 160 OF 199 BLOCK SAMITI SEATS WHILE SAD WON 44 SEATS AND ITS ALLIANCE PARTNER BJP WON ONLY A SINGLE SEAT
: The ruling Congress won majority of the zila parishad and block samiti seats in Majha, but SAD-BJP has made its presence felt in some pockets, especially Majitha constituency and Pathankot district.
In Amritsar, Congress won 160, including 45 unopposed candidates, out of 199 block samiti seats, while the SAD won 44 seats and its alliance partner BJP won one seat.
Of the 24 zila parishad seats, six seats were bagged by Congress, while four were bagged by the SAD. Result of rest of the seats was yet to be declared till the filing of this report.
AAP OPENS ACCOUNT IN MAJHA
Out of total 20 zila parishad seats, 19 were won by ruling party, while one was bagged by the SAD in Tarn Taran district.
The SAD had boycotted the elections in three assembly segments — Tarn Taran, Patti and Khemkaran. Nine Congress candidates had won unopposed.
Congress performed well in block samiti as well in the district.
Of the 160 block samiti seats, 144 were won by Congress, while 13 were bagged by the SAD. The Congress had secured 85 block samiti seats unopposed, while SAD won two.
Notably, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) succeeded to win a block samiti seat, while two independent also won.
CONGRESS CLEAN SWEEPS GURDASPUR
In Gurdaspur, the Congress stole the march over Akalis in the results declared for 25 zila parishad and 213 panchayat samiti seats.
The Congress nominees won all the zila parishad seats, 13 of them unopposed. Congress won 212 of the 213 panchayat samiti seats. Interestingly, the Marhi Buchian seat in Sri Hargobindpur block was bagged by an Independent Sucha Singh. 143 had been won unopposed by the Congress.
Notably, SAD had boycotted the polls in three assembly segments of Gurdaspur.
BJP SHOWS ITS PRESENCE IN PATHANKOT
Of the 10 zila parishad seats in Pathankot District, nine went to the ruling Congress, while BJP won one seat.
In 91 zones of block samiti, only two candidates of Congress had won unopposed.
Till the filing of this report, the Congress had won 55 seats and the BJP 20.
The results of the remaining seats was yet to be declared.