By PTI
CHANDIGARH: Several political stalwarts and senior leaders, including Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, former chief minister Amarinder Singh and Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, were trailing in their respective assembly constituencies in Punjab, according to initial trends in the counting of votes.
Besides, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, former Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia and former union minister Vijay Sampla were also behind their nearest rivals.
The Aam Aadmi Party appeared to be heading for a clean sweep, having taken a big lead in 88 of the 117 seats in Punjab.
Counting of votes for 117 assembly seats in Punjab began at 8am on Thursday amid tight security arrangements.
Five-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, who was seeking re-election from his home turf Lambi, was trailing behind his nearest rival and AAP candidate Gurmeet Singh Khudian by a margin of 4,385 votes.
At 94, Badal is the country’s oldest candidate to fight elections.
Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was trailing from the two seats he contested — Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur.
AAP candidate Labh Singh Ugoke was leading from Bhadaur seat, which is part of the politically significant Malwa region.
Channi was also trailing from his home constituency Chamkaur Sahib which he represented thrice.
AAP nominee Charanjit Singh is leading from Chamkaur Sahib seat by a margin of 1,438 votes.
Punjab Lok Congress chief and former chief minister Amarinder Singh was trailing from his pocket borough Patiala Urban.
The scion of the erstwhile Patiala royal family has been a legislator from Patiala seat in 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017 as a Congress candidate.
AAP candidate Ajit Pal Singh Kohli was leading by a margin of 9,592 votes from Patiala Urban.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal is also trailing from his home turf Jalalabad in Fazilka district.
AAP candidate Jagdeep Kamboj is leading from Jalalabad by a margin of 5,017 votes.
In Lehra seat, AAP candidate Barinder Kumar Goyal was leading over SAD (Sanyukt) candidate Parminder Singh Dhindsa by a margin of 22,862 votes.
Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal who was also fighting from Lehra was trailing.
Former Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa was trailing in the Qadian assembly seat from where SAD candidate Guriqbal Singh Mahal was leading by 141 votes.
Former Union minister and BJP candidate Vijay Sampla was trailing in Phagwara seat.
BSP candidate Jasvir Singh Garhi is leading over his nearest rival and Congress candidate Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal in Phagwara seat by a margin of 1,493 votes.
The Aam Aadmi Party appeared to be heading for a clean sweep in Punjab having taken a lead in 88 of the 117 assembly seats after initial rounds of counting of votes on Thursday, with Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal and former CM Amarinder Singh among the heavyweights who were trailing.
The Congress was leading in 13 seats, SAD in eight, BJP five and BSP two, according to trends available at 10:30 am.
An Independent candidate was ahead in one seat.
The early trends indicated that the ruling Congress has been decimated in Punjab while the SAD, which contested the polls in alliance with the BSP, has failed to make much impact.
Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and majority of his ministers were trailing.
As the trends started showing a clear lead to AAP, which made an impact in all the three regions — Malwa, Majha and Doaba — party workers burst into celebrations.
AAP leader and party’s Punjab affairs in-charge Jarnail Singh said that after Delhi, his party is sweeping Punjab.
“The people of the state had faced a lot of problems during previous regimes and had pinned hopes on AAP,” he said, adding that a new beginning for Punjab has started and state will become prosperous now.
Targeting the Congress and the BJP, he said, “These parties never talked of welfare of common people.”
“The trends are showing an overwhelming majority for our party and it shows that the people of Punjab have reposed faith in the Delhi Model of governance,” Sukhwinder Singh, an AAP supporter, said in Dhuri.
Lakhwinder, another AAP supporter, was seen dancing to the beats of dhols in Kharar constituency.
“Those parties which until yesterday were questioning the exit poll surveys which showed clear majority to AAP will have no face to show now,” he said, while distributing sweets to other supporters.
Among those who were trailing in early trends included Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
Channi is trailing from his seat Chamakur Sahib, from where he is sitting MLA as well as Bhadaur, the second seat from where he had entered the fray.
Former Chief Ministers Parkash Singh Badal, Amarinder Singh and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal were also trailing, early trends showed.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal was also behind in his Jalalabad seat by a margin of over 2,000 votes over his nearest rival and AAP candidate Jagdeep Kamboj.
Counting of votes for 117 assembly seats in Punjab began on Thursday amid tight security arrangements.
According to data available on the Election Commission website at 10:30 am, in Lambi, former chief minister and sitting MLA Parkash Singh Badal was trailing behind his nearest AAP rival Gurmeet Singh Khudian by a margin of 3,103 votes.
In Patiala Urban, where Punjab Lok Congress chief and former CM Amarinder Singh is the sitting MLA, AAP candidate Ajit Pal Singh Kohli was leading by a margin of 7,767 votes.
In Lehra, AAP candidate Barinder Kumar Goyal was leading over SAD (Sanyukt) candidate Parminder Singh Dhindsa by a margin of 13,962 votes.
Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal who was also fighting from Lehra was trailing.
Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia were trailing from Amritsar East seat.
AAP candidate Jeevanjyot Kaur was leading over her nearest rival Majithia by 590 votes.
Sidhu is the sitting MLA from Amritsar East.
Punjab Finance Minister and Congress leader Manpreet Singh Badal was trailing over his nearest AAP rival Jagroop Singh Gill from Bathinda Urban by a margin of over 9,931 votes.
From Pathankot, Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma was leading over his nearest Congress rival and sitting MLA Amit Vij by a margin of over 2,500 votes.
