Bathinda: 3% slip in polling figure makes fight stiffer

BATHINDA: There is no clarity what does a dip of 3 percent (from 77% in 2014 to 74% this time) in polling mean for the sitting Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who is seeking mandate for the third time from highstakes Bathinda constituency.

As per the figures, Lambi and Sardulgarh assembly segments, which are part of Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, witnessed a drop of 4 per cent as compared to 2014 elections. Lambi is being represented by the SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal whereas Akali leader Dilraj Singh Bhunder is an MLA from Sardulgarh. In 2014, Harsimrat could retain her seat only due to lead from these two segments.

In 2009, Harsimrat had won by a margin of 1.20 lakh votes, whereas her victory margin shrank to 19,000 votes in 2014. This time, Harsimrat is facing Congress candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, who is a twotime MLA from Gidderbaha, which is part of Faridkot Lok Sabha constituency.

However, political analysts predict Harsimrat and Warring are caught in a neck-and-neck contest.

Observers say it will be interesting to watch Maur and Mansa assembly segments which are being represented by rebel AAP leaders. Maur constituency being represented by Jagdev Singh Kamalu, has seen a drop of 6% votes as compared to 2014 elections. Kamalu had supported AAP rebel and Punjab Ekta Party candidate Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

Similarly, Mansa witnessed a dip of 5% in polling, and local MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia had joined the Congress ahead of the LS elections. “Congress raised the issue of sacrilege against the Badal family, which may reflect in the result. Lambi and Sardulgarh are considered pet segments of Akalis and a drop in polling may go against the SAD

candidate. However, the Akalis may have some breather as Bathinda Urban seat, being represented by the finance minister Manpreet Badal, saw a drop of about 2 percent. In the last LS elections, Harsimrat had trailed by 29,000 votes from Bathinda Urban seat,” said an observer, who wished not to be named.

He said as Bathinda has emerged as the constituency with highest polling (74.1%) as compared to state’s average of 65.8%, it may go against the SAD-BJP alliance here.

Prof Ashutosh Kumar from the department of political science of Panjab University said it was interesting to notice that a nonagenarian Akali leader Parkash Singh Badal was seeking votes in the name of PM Narendra Modi’s performance.

“BJP and SAD are traditional allies but the saffron party was always a minor partner in Punjab. Cornered by the Congress on sacrilege issues, the Akali leadership had to seek votes in the name of performance of the BJP government,” he said.