Two-thirds majority for Cong

Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 20 – The Congress was tonight swept to power in Punjab, with a thumping mandate, having secured a two-thirds majority in the State Assembly, ending nearly nine years of political wilderness, in the troubled state.

Of the 107 results available at the state headquarters here till midnight, 79 went in favour of the Congress, taking it past the magical figure of 59 needed to gain absolute majority in the 117-member state Assembly. The party was leading in a host of other constituencies and appeared well set to overhaul its best Assembly performance to date. In 1972 the party bagged 66 seats.

The party sweep was nearly complete in all the three regions of Punjab — Malwa, Majha and Doaba. It left way behind the Bahaujan Samaj Party, which with eight seats emerged as the second largest party.

This is for the first time that the BSP will make its appearance in the Assembly. The party had won the Phillaur Lok Sabha seat in 1989 elections with the support of the Akali Dal (Mann).

The Bhartiya Janata Party which had campaigned hard in the elections and was expected to give a good account of itself, won only six seats. It party chief, Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, won from the Nangal constituency, unseating the Congress leader, Mr Ram Parkash Bali.

The CPI which won only one seat in 1985 poll, picked up five and was leading in a few other constituencies. The CPM which drew a blank in the last elections, won in one constituency.

However, the severest drubbing was reserved for the Akali Dal(Kabul) which was the only Akali faction to take part in the elections. The party could take only two seats, one of which was won by Capt Amarinder Singh, Dal(K) leader, unopposed from Samana constituency. He, however, lost to the Congress candidate, Harnek Singh, in Kharar constituency. The party’s poor performance has thrown cold water on its grandiose plans to form the next government in Punjab with Capt Amarinder Singh has the Chief Minister. Many of its stalwarts including Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Mr Baldev Singh Mann and Mr Surjit Singh Minhas, Speaker of the dissolved Assembly, lost.

The Punjab PCC chief, Mr Beant Singh was declared elected from Jalandhar cantonment constituency. Barring unforeseen developments, Mr Beant Singh seems destined to head the new Congress government in Punjab. He registered a convincing win over his nearest BSP rival, Mr Gulzara Singh, with a margin of 10,113 votes. Mr Harcharan Singh Brar won from Muktsar. Mr Maninderjit Singh Bitta, president of the state unit of the Youth Congress, also won form Amritsar (South) defeating his immediate rival, Mr Raj Kumar of the BJP. Another Youth Congress leader elected was Mr Jagmohan Singh Kang from Morinda constituency.

Although on a winning spree, the Congress was not without setbacks. Mr Basant Singh, a nephew of the former President of India, Giani Zail Singh, lost in the Anandpur Sahib-Ropar constituency. So did Mr Brahm Mohindra in Patiala, Mr Bir Devinder Singh in Sirhind and Mr Gurdev Singh Bakshiwala in Budhlada. Incidentally, all three of them were dissident Congress leaders.

Mr Hans Raj Sharma, President of the Punjab Bachao Morcha, lost to Mr Mohinder Singh Gill, a former PCC chief, in Banur constituency. However, two independent candidates and one belonging to the Indian Peoples Front, made to the state Assembly.

Polling for the 115 Assembly constituencies and 13 Lok Sabha seats which took place yesterday under an unprecedented security cover mounted by the Army para-military, state police, home guards and SPOs, was marked by a record low in turn-out of voters, thanks to the call for an election boycott by major Akali and AISSF factions backed by threats from militants.

The absence of major Akali and AISSF factions from the poll arena robbed the elections of its usual hustle and bustle and predictably made it easy for the Congress to march to power in the state. Counting of votes in all the Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies began at 8 this morning and by noon, it was clear that the Congress would form the next government in Punjab.

The last Congress ministry headed by Mr Darbara Singh was sworn in on June 7, 1980. Mr Darbara Singh, however, resigned on October 6, 1983 and President’s rule was imposed in the state following stepped-up militant violence in the state.

Elections were held in September 1985, following Rajiv-Longowal accord which brought the Akalis to power in the state. But the Akali ministry led by Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, lasted till March 1987, when President’s rule was imposed .