Assembly poll results in five states today: Section 144 in Punjab to prevent crowds at counting centres
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Chandigarh, March 9
Political parties in Punjab are bracing for election results on Thursday. The stage is set for counting of votes for 117 Assembly seats with AAP emerging as a major contender. The Punjab Chief Electoral Officer said Section 144, CrPC, had been imposed in all districts to prevent crowds at counting centres and victory processions banned.
Also read: Punjab Assembly poll 2022: Ahead of results, leaders speak out
The poll outcome will decide the fate of several political bigwigs in Punjab, including that of SAD patriarch and five-time Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal (Lambi). He is fighting against Gurmeet Singh Khudian (AAP), who quit the Congress for being “ignored.”
Will retain power
We will form the government again. Let the ballot boxes be opened. All will become clear. CS Channi, Congress
Exit polls a sham
Exit polls should be banned. These are not credible. People have again reposed their failth in us . Sukhbir Badal, SAD
AAP Govt for sure
We will form government, winning more than 80 seats. The SAD president is in denial. Bhagwant Mann, AAP
We trust the voter
We are sure of outstanding results. We trust people. They will give us a chance to serve them. Capt Amarinder, PLC
Former CM Capt Amarinder Singh (PLC), who won with an impressive margin of 52,000 votes in 2017, may not have it easy this time. He is pitted against his one-time confidant and former Patiala Mayor Vishnu Sharma of the Congress, Ajit Pal Kohli of AAP and Harpal Juneja of the SAD in Patiala. The clash between Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and senior Akali leader Bikram Majithia (Amritsar-East) generated a lot of interest. The stakes are high for both leaders. Majithia chose to shift from his ‘safe’ constituency Majitha to take on Sidhu.
Both Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and Finance Minister Manpreet Badal are locked in a fierce fight with AAP candidates in Bhadaur and Bathinda-Urban, respectively. Denied the party ticket, CM’s brother Dr Manohar Singh is in the fray from Bassi Pathana as an Independent. Congress minister Rana Gurjeet Singh’s son Rana Inder Partap Singh is fighting as an Independent from Sultanpur Lodhi. While senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa is contesting from Qadian, his brother Fateh Jung Bajwa, who quit over ticket denial, is the BJP candidate from Batala.
The SAD continues to provide a platform for family politics. The list includes president Sukhbir Badal (Jalalabad), his father Parkash Singh Badal, his brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia and Majithia’s wife Ganieve Kaur (Majitha). Former Akali minister Jathedar Tota Singh (Dharamkot) and his son Makhan Singh (Moga) both are in the fray and so are former minister PS Chandumajra (Ghanaur) and his son Harinder Chandumajra (Sanaur). The SAD, fighting in alliance with the BSP, hopes to do well in Doaba.
As per exit poll surveys, the BJP-PLC-SAD (Sanyukt) coalition is unlikely to reach the double-digit mark.
