Haryana Assembly election results on Sunday turned out to be a mixed bag for the ruling party in the neighbouring State of Punjab — the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
Out of the two seats it contested during 2014 State Assembly polls, held on October 15, the SAD won one and lost the other. It has retained Kalawali seat, while again facing a defeat in Ambala city assembly constituency.
SAD fielded its candidates on the two seats in alliance with its traditional ally, the Indian National lok Dal (INlD), against its coalition partners in Punjab and also at the Centre, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). During previous assembly polls in 2009, the SAD had also contested on the same seats, and won Kalanwali, the reserved constituency.
Retaining party’s one seat in Haryana, SAD’s Balkaur Singh has defeated Congress’ Shishpal Keharwala by a margin of 12,965 votes. In 2009 polls, SAD’s Charanjeet Singh won Kalanwali defeating Congress’ Dr Sushil Kumar Indora by a margin of 12544 votes. He had bagged 59064 votes in his kitty which was 50.98 per cent of the total votes polled.
In Ambala city assembly segment, SAD’s Balvinder Singh finished fourth. BJP’s Assem Goel won the seat by 60,216 votes defeating former Congress MlA and chief of newly-formed Haryana Jan Chetna Party Venod Sharma.
SAD’s Charnjeet Kaur Malour had lost the Amabla seat in 2009 to Congress’ Venod Sharma by a margin of just 35550 votes. SAD candidate secured 33885 votes which was 25.75 per cent of the total votes polled.