Dera Bassi cold-shouldered SAD, but voted graciously for BJP, Congress

Zirakpur, June 5

The Dera Bassi Assembly segment of Patiala Lok Sabha constituency gave a huge number of votes to BJP candidate Preneet Kaur and Congress candidate Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, both from Patiala, but gave a cold shoulder to the home candidate, NK Sharma of SAD.

Both Preneet and Dr Gandhi polled more votes here than in their own home Assembly segment Patiala. While BJP polled 65,742 votes, Congress got 46,621 votes and SAD got only 33,748 votes in their stronghold. As a result, Sharma lost his security deposit in the elections.

SAD candidate Sharma is not the only one to lose his security deposit from the Mohali district, Prem Singh Chandumajra (SAD) also lost his security deposit from the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency.

Preneet’s outshining all other candidates in the Dera Bassi assembly segment is surprising, given that the BJP had to face stiff resistance from the farmer community in the entire run-up to the elections. Even before the BJP opened its election office in Lalru and Zirakpur, the SKM was already at its door with black flags in hand and raising slogans outside their offices on May 5.

The BJP’s good showing here is attributed to Hindu-dominated electorate in the Assembly constituency and the four-time MP managed to woo urban electorate in good numbers. The SKM influence remained largely limited to rural areas, which were lesser in number.

Old timers say the single biggest reason of BJP’s good showing here is the presence of migrant labour in the industrial belt, which chose to go with the saffron party. Traditionally, Dera Bassi has recorded the highest voter turnout among the three Assembly segments in the district. This time, Dera Bassi Assembly constituency had 2,96,951 voters, of which 1,96,234 voters turned out at the polling booths. As many as 1,05,763 males, 90,467 females and four others comprised 66.08 per cent voter turnout — the highest in the district, followed by SAS Nagar 60.16 per cent and Kharar, the least with 56.80 per cent.