The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday gained a simple majority on its own in 117-member Punjab Assembly by winning Dhuri by-election, the result of which was declared on Wednesday.
SAD candidate Gobind Singh longowal drubbed Congress candidate Simar Partap Singh, grandson of former Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, by a margin of 37,501 votes.
The former Minister and three-time MlA longowal bagged 67,596 votes out of the total 1,10,951 votes polled during April 11 by-election. On the other hand, total 30,095 votes were polled in favour of Simar, a political greenhorn who was contesting his first ever election.
SAD (Amritsar) candidate, Surjit Singh Kalabula, who was considered to give a tough fight to the two major political parties, managed to get just 7,554 votes. A total of 1071 voters exercised the ‘none of the above’ (NOTA) option. Akali Dal now has 59 legislators, against BJP’s 12, and Congress’ 43. Remaining three are Independents.
In the absence of Aam Aadmi Party, the Dhuri ballot battle ended up to be a direct contest between the strong SAD and divided Congress. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal described SAD’s victory as a “resounding verdict” in favour of the policies, programmes and performance of its alliance government with the BJP in Punjab.
Expressing gratitude to the people of Dhuri constituency, he said: “This victory increases our responsibility and we are totally committed to live up to the high expectations that people have from us…The result truly reflects the mood of the people of Punjab.”
SAD president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, terming the victory as a verdict in favour of “pro-people development policies of the Punjab government” and a complete rejection of “negative campaign” run by the Congress, said that it has set the trend for the 2017 assembly elections in which the Congress will now face complete elimination.
On the other hand, Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa said that Dhuri Assembly bye-election was an example of blatant and unashamed use of money, muscle power and misuse of official machinery by the ruling Akali Dal, the tactics that the party resorted to in the Talwandi Sabo bye-election also.