By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: It is not only the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) but also the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) that is equally damaging the electoral fortunes of the incumbent Congress in Punjab.
And the SC votes, which the party was expecting to consolidate by appointing Charanjit Singh Channi as CM, has gotten split among the three parties, according to an internal assessment of the grand old party after the polling.
The assessment shows the party is taking a hit in all three regions — Majha, Doaba and Malwa — of the border state.
According to analysis, SAD has been able to garner its traditional votes.
“There was this assumption that the farmers’ agitation would hit the SAD most but it is not the case and the party has regained its lost ground. If SAD does well, then it could bring trouble for the Congress,” said sources within the grand old party.
The sources further said the AAP is posing a big challenge and it would also hit the ruling party in Majha region where the Congress had won 22 of 25 seats in 2017 while the AAP couldn’teven open its account.
The assessment finds that appointment of Charanjit Singh Channi as the first Dalit chief minister in the state helped the Congress consolidate the votes in some of the reserved seats but the over 30 per cent of Dalit votes in the state got split between the SAD-BSP alliance and Aam Aadmi Party.
“No doubt there was anti-incumbency but the infighting in the party has impacted the its chances. People are looking to give AAP a chance this time and this gives an edge to them. There was also silent support for the SAD,” said a Congress leader.
Meanwhile, A voter turnout of nearly 72 per cent was recorded in Punjab where polling for 117 assembly seats was held on Sunday.
According to data shared by the office of Punjab’s chief electoral officer (CEO) on Monday evening, the final voter turnout was 71.95 per cent in the state.
This is the lowest voting percentage when compared to that observed in the three previous assembly elections.
In the 2017 Punjab assembly polls, the voting percentage was 77.40.
The percentage in 2007 and 2012 was 75.45 and 78.20 respectively.
In the 2002 elections, the voting percentage was 65.14.
It took more than 24 hours, after polling ended at 6 pm on Sunday, for the office of Punjab’s CEO to release the final turnout figure.
CEO S Karuna Raju said that out of the total 2,14,99,804 voters, 1,54,69,618 exercised their franchise.
There were 81,33,930 men voters and 73,35,406 women voters while 282 were transgenders.
Polled EVMS have been moved to the 117 strong rooms at 66 locations in the state.
As per the Election Commission’s guidelines, a three-tier security has been deployed and security forces are keeping strict vigil round the clock, Raju said.
Among 117 assembly constituencies, Gidderbaha in Muktsar district recorded the highest voter turnout at 84.93 per cent followed by Talwandi Sabo at 83.70 per cent and Sardulgarh at 83.64 per cent.
Amritsar West recorded the lowest percentage at 55.40 per cent, Ludhiana South at 59.04 per cent and Amritsar Central at 59.19 per cent.
Chamkaur Sahib constituency from where Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi is seeking re-election registered a voter turnout of 74.52 per cent while Bhadaur from where he was also in the fray, recorded 78.90 per cent.
Amritsar East constituency from where Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia were fighting the polls, registered a voter turnout of 64.05 per cent, far below the state’s average percentage.
Dhuri from where AAP’s chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann was trying his luck recorded 77.37 per cent turnout.
The Lambi seat from where 94-year-old former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal was contesting the poll, recorded 81.35 per cent polling.
The Patiala assembly constituency from where former chief minister Amarinder Singh was contesting, recorded a voter turnout of 63.58 per cent.
In Jalalabad, from where SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was in the fray had a turnout of 80 per cent.
Lehra from where former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was fighting recorded 79.60 per cent turnout while Pathankot from where Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma was fighting, recorded 73.82 per cent turnout.
Mansa from where singer Sidhu Moosewala was contesting, witnessed 78.99 per cent and Moga from where actor Sonu Sood’s sister Malvika Sood Sachar was contesting recorded 70.55 per cent turnout.
There were 11 assembly constituencies Zira, Guruharsahai, Jalalabad, Lambi, Fazilka, Gidderbaha, Bhucho Mandi, Talwandi Sabo, Maur, Sardulgarh, and Budhlada where polling turnout was more than 80 per cent.
All these assembly segments are in the Malwa region which accounts for 69 of the total 117 assembly seats.
Heavy polling was witnessed in rural assembly segments as compared to urban seats, according to data.
Amritsar West, Amritsar Central, Amritsar South and Ludhiana South seats recorded less than 60 per cent turnout, it stated.
Polling percentage in Malwa region was more than that in the Majha and the Doaba regions.
In the Malwa region, districts such as Mansa, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Faridkot, Muktsar, Fazilka (except Abohar seat), Ferozepur (except Ferozepur city seat) and Bathinda (except Bathinda urban seat) recorded over 75 per cent polling.
A total of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders, were in the fray.
Punjab CEO Raju said over 23 tonnes of COVID waste, which included PPE kits, face masks, hand gloves, face shields, was generated from 24,740 polling stations on election day in the state.
The waste was collected and disposed of with the help of district nodal officers of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) in an environmentally sound manner, he added.
Raju said some minor poll related incidents were witnessed in the state and a total of 33 FIRs were registered on the day of polling to avert any untoward incidents.
“Of total 33 FIRs, 10 were related to minor clashes, 16 of violation of prohibitory orders, three of poll-related offences, three of other cases and one was related to a firing incident,” said Raju.
Punjab witnessed a multi-cornered contest among the Congress, AAP, SAD-BSP, BJP-PLC-SAD (Sanyukt) and the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), a political front of various farmer bodies.
The ruling Congress was seeking to retain the power while rival parties were eyeing to wrest power.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) contested the polls in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
The BJP fought the elections in alliance with Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led SAD (Sanyukt).
The SSM contested the polls with Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni-led Sanyukt Sangharsh Party.
(With PTI Inputs)
