AAP makes a clean sweep in Patiala district

Karam Prakash

Patiala, March 10

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has swept Patiala district by decimating both the traditional parties – the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

The AAP, has, spectacularly, won all the eight Assembly seats in the district. The winning margin of the AAP candidates in Patiala rural, including Shutrana, Sanour and Nabha, was above 45,000 votes.

The highest margin was recorded in Patiala rural where the AAP candidate, Dr Balbir Singh, conquered the Congress’ stronghold by drubbing Mohit Mohindra, the son of former minister Brahm Mohindra. The AAP has won this seat by a margin of 53, 474 votes. Mohit Mohindra is the one, who has spent a record amount of Rs23.95 lakh on the election campaigning. He could get 23,681 votes.

Patiala Mayor Sanjeev Sharma Bittu, who was fighting on the PLC ticket from the same constituency, could get only 11,887 votes.

In Nabha, Gurdev Singh Mann, won by a margin of 52, 371 votes. Five times MLA and former minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot is among the candidates, who have been defeated by Mann. Dharamsot, who was accused of the SC scholarship scam, finished poorly third with just 18,251 votes. The SAD candidate, Kabir Dass, finished second with 29,453 votes in Nabha.

In Sanour, the AAP candidate, Harmit Singh Pathanmajra, overthrew the sitting SAD MLA, Harinder Pal Chandumjra, the son of veteran SAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra, by a margin of 49, 122 votes. Chandumajra, who was fighting elections for the second time, got 34,771 votes. Meanwhile, the Congress candidate, Harinder Pal Harry Mann, could garner only 25,408 votes.

In Shutrana, the AAP candidate, Kulwant Singh, defeated the SAD candidate and former MLA, Vaninder Kaur Loomba. Kulwant trounced the SAD candidate by a margin of 51, 554. The winning candidate, Kulwant, got 81,751 votes. The Congress finished third in Shutrana.

Assembly election results

Patiala Urban

AAP: Ajit Pal Kohli (winner)

PLC: Capt Amarinder Singh (runner-up)

Winning margin: 19,873

Patiala Rural

AAP: Dr Balbir Singh (winner)

Congress: Mohit Mohindra (runner-up)

Winning margin: 53, 474

Samana

AAP: Chetan Singh Joramajra (winner)

SAD: Surjit Singh Rakhra (runner-up)

Winning margin: 39,713

Ghanaur

AAP: Gurlal Ghanaur (Winner)

Congress: Madan Lal Jalalpur (runner-up)

Winning margin: 31, 765

Rajpura

AAP: Neena Mittal (winner)

BJP: Jagdish Kumar Jagga (runner-up)

Winning margin: 22, 493

Shutrana

AAP: Kulwant Singh (winner)

SAD: Vaninder Kaur Loomba (runner-up)

Winning margin: 51,554

Nabha

AAP: Gurdev Singh Dev Mann (winner)

SAD: Kabir Dass (runner-up)

Winning margin: 52, 371

Sanour

AAP: Harmit Singh Pathanmajra (winner)

SAD: Harinder Pal Chandumajra (runner-up)

Winning margin: 49, 122