BJP loses its Doaba citadel, Cong wins both corporations

JALANDHAR: The Congress party won the Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur municipal corporations in the Doaba region comprising Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar.

Elections were held on 362 wards of 23 local bodies. Two Congress candidates were elected unopposed. Of 360 wards, the Congress won 219, the SAD got 20, AAP (11). Three seats went to Bahujan Samaj Party and 8 seats to (BJP) and 101 to Independents.

SAD has four sitting MLAs in Jalandhar and SBS Nagar including Pawan Tinu from Adampur, Baldev Khaira from Phillaur, Gurpratap Singh Wadala and Sukhwinder Sukh from Banga, but has lost in these areas. The party has won one seat in Jalandhar district, and three in Banga besides, three seats in SBS Nagar where it was contesting with support of Azaad group. The BJP has won nine seats in Doaba, of which seven are in Hoshiarpur, a party stronghold, where it has the sitting MP and union minister Som Prakash.

At Jalandhar’s 110 seats, Independents won 59; Congress (47) and two each by the BSP, the SAD and the BJP. Congress party won four councils of Phillaur, Mehatpur, Lohian Khas and Nakodar. Jalandhar MP Santokh Singh claimed that victory was because of pro-people policies of the state government.

In SBS Nagar, Congress won 11 of 19 seats in the Nawnashahr council. Significantly, the Azaad group led by ex-Congress municipal council chief, Lalit Mohan Pathak including independents, SAD and BSP won eight seats. Pathak also won his own seat from ward 12 with 900-odd votes despite local Congress MLA, Angad Singh Saini, backing the party candidate.

In Nawanshahr, Congress candidate from ward number 17, Chet Ram, won by just one vote against SAD. In Banga, of 15 seats, five each were won by the Congress and the AAP; SAD (3) and one each to BJP and the Independent.

In Kapurthala, Congress won 45 seats in 50-member corporation. In Sultanpur Lodhi council, of 13 wards, Congress won 10 and the SAD three. AAP and BJP didn’t open their account. A father-son, Narinder Singh and his son, Rahul Kumar who were contesting elections from Congress won from ward 34 and 32 in Kapurthala respectively.

In Hoshiarpur district, Congress has wrested seven urban local bodies including Hoshiarpur corporation. Of total 142 seats, Congress got 101; SAD (6) and the BJP seven. In the region, around 101 Independents contested. In Rahon, 13 Independents won, of which the majority owe allegiance to the Congress. A Congress leader said, “We did not contest Rahon on our symbol, but will form the committee.” Congress didn’t contest in three bodies on their symbol in Jalandhar. The party won five seats, on a par with the Congress, in Banga council.

Adampur MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu accused the Congress for using repression. Former BJP minister Manoranjan Kalia said, “This is not a true picture as the ruling party used unfair means. In Hoshiarpur, anti-incumbency crept in as we held the corporation.” Congress MLA Raj Kumar Chabbewal said, “Punjab government supported farmers, so they voted for us.”

41 of 50 in Hoshiarpur are first-timers

The Congress won the Hoshiarpur municipal corporation and Tanda, Dasuya, Mukerian, Garhdiwala and Hariana municipal councils,

In Garhshankar three of its candidates won on party symbols. The House is going to be full of fresh faces as 41 winning members are first-timers. Four lawyers have also among the winners. Congress nominee Inderjit Kaur won with the biggest margin of 1096 votes in ward number 19. The result of Talwara nagar panchayat by-poll also went in favour of Congress. The party also won one of the two seats of Mahilpur nagar panchayat.

OF 360 WARDS THAT WENT TO POLLS, CONGRESS WON FROM 219 WARDS, THE SAD FROM 20 AND AAP BAGGED 11 SEATS