Low voting shows sacrilege was non-issue in Faridkot: Analysts

BATHINDA: The issue of the sacrilege incidents and police firing did not find much resonance among voters in the Faridkot Lok Sabha seat, political analysts claimed, citing low voter turnout in the constituency.

Also, the absence of public-oriented issues such as unemployment and agrarian crisis in the poll narrative were the key factors behind the low turnout in Punjab, particularly in Faridkot, the epicentre of anti-sacrilege protests in 2015, which recorded 63.21% polling on Sunday.

The state’s polling average was 65.84%. In the 2009 and 2014 polls, 72.44% and 71.11% votes were polled in the segment.

Prof Jagrup Sekhon, the state coordinator of Lokniti, a social science research programme of New Delhi-based Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), said the Congress used the issue of violation of holy books as the main poll plank to corner the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) which was in power when a spate of desecration incidents rocked the state.

In an apparent move to consolidate the Sikh voters, a political rally was organised at Bargari village in Faridkot when chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh announced to construct a memorial in the memory of two protesters killed in the police firing in the presence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi who also vowed strict action against culprits of sacrilege.

“On the other hand, SAD used the issue of 1984 anti-sikh riots and the Operation Bluestar to counterattack the Congress and retain its support base among the Sikh voters,” said Sekhon, also head of the department of political science at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU).

“Both the Congress and the Akali Dal put the issues of public importance on the backburner. Had the sacrilege been a major political issue against Akali leadership, the turnout would have been higher. In the 2014 elections, a political wave of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was so palpable in the Malwa belt,” he said.

Prof Ashutosh Kumar from the department of political science of Panjab University said the turnout was low as political parties failed to give space to key issues close to the common man even as desecration was an issue among a section of rural voters.

Had sacrilege been a major political issue against Akalis, the turnout would have been higher. In 2014, a wave of AAP was so palpable in the Malwa belt PROF JAGRUP SEKHON, GNDU